A new cell phone ban that goes into effect after winter break has stirred up a lot of mixed reactions from students. While some see the benefit of banning cell phones during instructional time, others question the extension of the ban to the hallways and lunchroom.

According to the guidance issued by the VDOE this fall, the use of cell phones and other personal devices will be prohibited for the whole school day in Virginia effective January 6th. This measure was put in place in an attempt to address the “alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents, such as depression and anxiety, driven in part by extensive social media usage and widespread cell phone possession among children.”

Students are upset by the mandate for a number of reasons, some obvious and some surprising. HCS students were aware that a cell phone ban was on the horizon, but most did not realize the extent of the ban until HCS started sharing details with parents and students this fall.

“Some people need to use their phones to text or call their parents [and] guardians,”a student observed in an anonymous survey. “Also, …people use it as a mental break because they have anxiety and use it to disconnect from stressful or anxiety inducing situations.”

In a poll of 253 students, 51% said they use their phone “sometimes” for work. Also, when asked to rate on a scale from 1-5 how much of a distraction phones were, only 8% gave a response above a three. In contrast, 92% of students indicated they did not consider cellphones a significant disruption to learning.

In fact, some students surveyed indicated that they need phones to work on assignments, whether as a calculator or a temporary replacement for a dead Chromebook. A few students even contended that cell phones are necessary for completing their actual academy work. 

“It will disrupt my Social Media class because I need to be on social media,” one student stated. “How will I learn about Social Media if I can’t use it?”

Many students also mourn the loss of headphones, which have been included in the ban. At present, many students listen to music during class to help them stay focused. Some even wear noise cancelling devices because they find the school environment noisy and overstimulating.

“A lot of kids like me use [our phones] to listen to music,” freshman Damian Omondiale shared. “If they ban my music, I can’t really focus.”

A few students surveyed raised concerns about how effective the cell phone ban will be, suggesting that their peers will find alternative methods to distract themselves and cause more disruptions. They fear that even with the new law in effect, some of their peers will find loopholes, or workarounds, to the new policy to continue their device use.

“I feel as if the cell phone free law will not benefit me and my class,” one such student stated. “I say this because it will just cause students to be more sneaky when being on their phones and cause more conflict with the students between teachers.”

Not everyone in the Bethel community though sees the cell phone ban in a negative light. Over a third of students surveyed indicated that they feel as if limiting device usage during “work-time” will benefit them and their peers.

“It pains me to lose my main source of entertainment in school, but I will not deny I would pay attention to my teachers more without my phone,” one student confessed.

“When students are on their phone, it’s a distraction to them,” another student observed.  “When the teacher tells them to put it away, it stops everyone else from learning, and most of the time the students get mad…; it causes the whole class to be disturbed.”

Although most students surveyed felt that the ban should not extend to the hallways or the lunchroom, a handful of students indicated that they think this could benefit students on a deeper level, extending beyond the classroom and educational environment.

“Without these stupid phones, people will start looking at their surroundings more,” one student declared. “When they are on their phones, they don’t look at everything around them.”

It is clear that the upcoming ban is prompting mixed reactions, ranging from frustration to cautious optimism. Change always creates uncertainty, but one thing is certain: on January 6th, Bethel and schools across Virginia will be the testing grounds for a new approach to education.