Cellphones in school cause controversy

A new problem has recently arisen in Edison Intermediate School (EIS). The use of cellphones during school hours has been increasing. Many teachers and students have had to deal with students using their phones during classwork time. This creates a huge problem because even though kids want their phones in classrooms, they can’t use them, but are tempted to and end up using them anyway. 

Many kids are concerned about phones being allowed in school. “Phones can be beneficial in school, but they shouldn’t replace Chromebooks,” Caden Flaherty, sixth grader at EIS stated.

Recent studies have shown that, “nearly 80% of teachers reported increased engagement in class and a majority of the faculty observed greater student-to-student interaction, fewer classroom distractions, and more attentive students,” (Nieto-Munoz). This shows how not having phones in school is becoming beneficial to the students’ learning. Some students already struggle with attention span problems, and phones don’t make it any better. Especially when they get to use them all day. That’s why not having your phone in school can give your brain a break and help learning. 

A recent article stated how many kids use social media and this widely impacts the students at EIS. “Social media is an important aspect of the cellphone use debate largely because, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 58 percent of teens ages 13-17 use TikTok daily, and around 50 percent use Snapchat and Instagram daily,” (“To Ban or Not to Ban? Educators, Parents, and Students Weigh In on Cellphones”).

Other students expressed their experience at EIS with phones. Maddie Rodriguez, a sixth grader at EIS, has said that she has seen many girls making TikToks in the bathroom. While another student, Gabby Moriarty, a seventh grader at EIS,  thinks that using your phone in school should be allowed for emergencies, “Cellphones should be allowed in school because if you need to contact your parents it will be useful.” 

Some students don’t like to tell on other kids that they shouldn’t be using their phones and are afraid to say it. But, a student in 6th grade at EIS, Oliver Tsvirko, admitted the truth about kids using their phones anyway, “The cellphone ban is not reasonable because you can contact your parents by yourself and kids are going to the bathroom with them anyway.” 

Although most students want phones in school Mrs. Rebecca Bodajlo, sixth grade Spanish teacher at EIS shared her view on the topic. “Students can’t use their phones in school because they can be distracting; Detention is fair if they are a repeat offender.” 

Mrs. Bodajlo also mentioned she has never needed to take a phone away, and she also rarely tells her students to put their phones away. 

Another student mentioned what she thinks of going to the office to call parents. “I think they should be allowed because if you’re having a private emergency and you don’t want to go to the office, you should be able to contact your parents with your phone,” Daniella Kaban, eighth grader at EIS stated.
Lily Sommer, eighth grader at EIS, mentioned what she thinks about phones. “I think cellphones can be beneficial in an emergency, but if they are constantly distracting kids they can be harmful at times, so I think that they should be allowed but off and away,” she stated.

When there is a substitute teacher a student expressed what he does when there is one. “If there is a sub, I will use it to text or play a game,” Noah Rodrigues, seventh grader at EIS mentioned.