By Bianca Treloar
Phones are regressing the abilities of modern day students and need to be stopped. At least, that is what New Jersey’s legislatures believe.
As of January of last year, a complete phone ban was officially signed into law by Governor Murphy. Being a “bell-to-bell” policy, it prevents New Jersey’s students (K-12) from using their phones at any point during school hours. Failure to adhere to the rules will result in phone confiscation or—in the case of a repeated offense—a detention. Because of the extreme nature of this new law, it has been a controversial topic among students, parents, and educators, all unsure of its necessity.
Quoted from the New Jersey School Board Association’s website, Governor Murphey stated, “[the bill is] ensuring New Jersey schools are a place for learning and engagement, not distracting screens that detract from academic performance.” From his perspective, devices have become too overwhelming for students to handle themselves, requiring legislative intervention to improve their academic and social interactions. His assumptions are not completely false.
Children ages 8-18 average seven and a half hours on their screens, excluding academics, according to The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). This amount of screen time is concerning, capping well over the average school day. This brings us to an uncomfortable truth: children are getting out of hand with their phone usage. So, it is reasonable for any parents to be concerned—mad even. How can students be expected to learn when the dopamine grab of screens has reached such consuming levels?
While screen time averages are higher than they perhaps should be, almost all of that time is spent outside of school. Yes, things like social media are addictive, but it can not act as an academic inhibitor if it is not being used during school hours. Because of this, students have a lot to say in opposition to the law.
When asked, almost all mentioned, in some capacity, that the policy prevented communication between school clubs/events and parents. When questioned if their productivity in school has improved, it was a unanimous no. Because Chatham had initially enforced a rule that had students place their phones in pouches during class, it is understandable that students wouldn’t see a significant difference in their productivity.
Another grievance concerns the use of iPads. Many students had been using iPads as a more efficient way to take and organize their notes. Used strictly for note-taking, teachers had no problem welcoming the devices into the learning atmosphere. Since the ban, this method of learning has now become an impossibility. Students had only been using the devices for the essentials, and now they have to be subject to fixing a non-existent problem.
If anything, the phone policy is harmful as it prevents students from using their phone for what they were built for: communication. But also, a full-out ban prevents students from practicing any form of self-control. If every decision is made for them, lifting that restriction when they leave for college will create an even larger problem. Phones are, most of the time, being used at home. This makes its usage a conversation between child and parent and not for the law to dictate over.
The fear of devices has come too far and is now interfering with systems that were already working. Broader conversations regarding devices are being replaced with a mistrust of our youth. And even worse, nothing has been fixed.
