Tragic stories
Olly Stephens, Breck Bednar, Molly Russel, and Frankie Thomas are a few examples of how phones, can play a part in ending a life.
An internet search will tell you billions of people have phones.
With millions using phones, most over 4 hours a day.
I knew the internet could be dangerous.
I knew phones and newer technologies could be dangerous.
I knew free speech and online censorship was a massive world issue.
But I didn't know the role schools could play in these stories.
Phones in school
As more phones are made, sold, and used, the number of phones in schools has understandably increased.
Increased phones use has been linked to:
Increased eyesight issues like myopia
Increased cyberbullying
Increased peer pressure
Increased depression rates
Increased anxiety rates
Increased use of behavioural medication
Increased needs for mental health professionals
Much of the research uses the term problematic phone use, which is the term I will use.
Despite its often association with addiction, many are not addicted, but struggle with poor habits.
Phone ban
There is no ban in the UK yet, despite Gavin's efforts in 2021.
However, other countries have got some kind of ban:
Some in certain regions.
Some in law, but not all schools.
Some in place, but not well enforced.
From what I can see, there are a few main arguments for a phone ban.
Attention; Students get distracted in lesson.
Performance; Students get lower grades.
Health; Seeing harmful content and cyberbullying is unhealthy.
Each ban in place is a little different
No devices on school grounds, phones, watches, tablets, laptops etc.
No phones on school grounds.
Phones but locked in lockers, locked in magnet protected pouches, put in boxes before lesson, or just told to not use them.
With limited data on phone bans, it is hard to see what works and doesn't work.
But what does 'work' even mean in this conversation?
The arguments
Attention
We want students to pay attention in class.
The argument is simple.
If someone has their phone, they are less likely to pay attention.
A study commonly referenced by journalists outlines the keys point:
If you use your phone, you take fewer notes on the lesson.
Phones can distract you.
The more aware of the phone you are, the greater the impact.
Consciously thinking about your phone, reduces task specific test results.
But the same can be said for:
Doodling on paper.
Sitting next to windows, especially busy ones.
Having a fidget toy.
Having something to say to a friend in the classroom.
A phone is 1 of many possible distractions.
The study shows that just thinking about the phone, negatively impacts test results.
It could be in your locker, but if you think about it, it is a distraction.
This study. The main study people seem to be using to justify a blanket phone ban, suggests:
a more useful approach is to recognize a good balance
They don't say what that looks like, but I think a balance is different from a ban.
Performance
The claim is that excessive phone use decreases grade results.
But that seems to be more for those disadvantaged.
Already struggling with behaviour issues and grades.
So a phone ban reduces the grade gap, rather than helping everyone.
But a ban reduces opportunities for those that could benefit.
This is where special cases make a blanket ban complicated.
Phones can help with:
Recording audio
Taking pictures of presentations
Used as a calculator
Downloading lecture or lesson information
In some countries using them for lights where electricity is an issue.
Most study authors, I have found, said if the technology use was course relevant, and lesson specific, there were benefits.
We saw potential benefits during the pandemic with e-learning.
I think this quote sums up the state of research right now quite well:
The extent to which this technological device has contributed to academic achievement is still inconclusive
In other words, we don't know how to effectively use phones for teaching, everyone.
We do know it likely reduces the grades of those already struggling, potentially due to the reduced attention on the lesson.
Health
Now to the health argument:
Phones decrease mental health of students.
Social media is the most common use of phones.
Social media has shown to significantly impact mental health.
Social media is where cyberbullying takes place.
But cyberbullying is one of the most uncommon places for bullying.
Verbal bullying and physical bullying, being far more common in schools.
A phone ban could, and probably would, decrease cyberbullying.
But could it also increase verbal and physical bullying?
That is just speculation.
Text, emails, social media and playing games are the most common uses of phones.
Yes, they search the web, but often looking for news, memes and world events.
Porn, horror, and talking with strangers aren't as common, and as brought up in Frankie's case.
Most schools use external IT companies to block websites.
The issue, is with the amount of websites out there, and the companies trying to keep up with what to block.
Some people will argue reducing opportunities to use a phone is the way to go.
Others will argue educating when, how and why to use a phone is the way to go.
To me, the phone isn't the problem.
As evident with Frankie's case, using school laptops and iPads.
But I don't think we can ban internet access.
Blanket Ban
Some places that have used blanket phone bans have had to reverse them.
In the UK, headteachers have control over phone policies, with one article reporting 40% of punishments are phone related.
But a phone ban, brings in new ways to break the rules.
If you put a blanket ban in place, you could cause more problems than you solve, especially for those with, nomophobia; phobia of no phone.
It's more common in:
Younger people.
Those that struggle to self regulate.
Those with high extraversion.
And is less likely for those with high conscientiousness.
To me, problematic phone use is then student and environment specific.
What subject, teacher, friends, topic, day is it? And how does that impact the student?
My take
When I look at the arguments for a blanket phone ban.
Attention is an issue, when they focus on more than one thing or, the phone use is not related to the lesson.
Performance is an issue, mainly for those struggling with behaviour and grade issues already, which I would suggest is related to attention.
Health is an issue, if social media is 'misused', but that goes outside of school as well.
Yes, a blanket phone ban helps.
But it doesn't help:
The struggle out of school.
The issues with other devices.
Teach them to use phones in a way that helps learning.
Teach them to use phones in a way that is healthy.
One quote said:
students need to be taught the importance of making informed choices about behaviour in virtual environments
Another quote said:
detailed guidance and explanation on how to use smartphones appropriately in classroom settings, is imperative for meaningful learning
To me, the conversation then moves beyond attention to lessons.
Olly, Breck, Molly and Frankie are tragic stories, but I am not sure a phone ban would have helped them.
Education about healthy phone habits, and internet safety might have.
So what is school for?
Getting good grades on standardized tests because you paid attention.
Or...
Developing lifelong skills that can be used out of, and after, school.
Maybe you can do both.
But with a blanket ban, I am not sure how.
And that is what I'm learning about.