In 2019, Govenor of California Gavin Newsom signed the Assembly Bill (AB) 272 into action. This bill grants school districts the authority to control the amount of phone usage during school hours, more commonly known as the phone ban. Starting the ‘24-’25 school year, our school started participating in this phone ban. Through a Google Form survey posted on a social media resource, students and staff were able to share their perspective on the new phone policy.
Thirty-four students and staff responded to this survey. Around 72% of the participants think that the phone ban is not necessary, while the other 28% think that it is good for in class but not during breaks. Counselor Gurneet Sharma participated in this survey as well and believes that the ban is great for during class time, but not all day. Some people may think that phones can help a student more than hurt.
According to Minga.io, things on the smart phone such as social media and games can help improve creativity and motivation to work with others during school time. Many classes at West High use technology to communicate with students. Apps such as Remind and GroupMe are used to send homework help to students and even club reminders to members. However, phones can be used to procrastinate classwork and homework, creating an even more stress-filled environment for those who see school from a negative perspective.
Reported from MyKidsVision, the average screen time for a high school student is around eight hours and thirty-nine minutes on a weekday and is increased on weekends. A healthy amount of screen time is close to two hours. Not phones themselves, but social media has been proven to cause depression and other mental health problems. While school and assignments are a stress-causer as well, phones may certainly be contributing to the problem. Whether you are pro-phone or pro-ban, there is always a way to maintain a healthy amount of screen time with schoolwork. Limiting screen time or even just hiding your phone away during times that require focusing can greatly improve attention span, mental health, and the amount of time you spend after school doing homework.
