Why Should Cell Phones Be Banned In Schools

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An Unnecessary Distraction: Banning Cell Phones at School Over the past ten years, smartphones have become more technologically advanced while less expensive to own. Consequently 3 out of 4 students (78% Madden et al. 2) have access to text, photos, and games during class. A school’s top priority is to educate its students while keeping them safe and there is considerable evidence suggesting that phone use during class take more away from these goals than they contribute. Cell phones are distracting, enable cheating, and create harmful shortcuts. A zero-tolerance ban on cell phone use during school hours will improve child education while taking little away from student safety.
Whispering in class, passing notes, and playing tic tac toe with my neighbor were not tolerated when I was in school. Cell phones enable the modern day version with texting, social media, and playing games. This neverending distraction is detrimental to learning. In fact, a study done by Beland and Murphy showed that students using a cell phone while listening to lecture is harming students’ ability to learn. Furthermore, their grades go up by a full 2 percentage points if this multitasking is put
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What if there is an emergency or an important message from their parents? While the ease of communication offered by cell phones make both parents and students feel more secure, the process used before cell phones became ubiquitous is simple to continue and effective. If there is an emergency at home, a parent can contact the school and relay that message to the student. Conversely, if there is a message that a student needs to tell their parents, they can use phones in the school office. The messages are still received by the student and parent while any emergencies are immediately addressed. By banning cell phones at school, schools still maintain the safety of their

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