Last week, we broke news that San Diego Unified is taking steps to consider a ban on cell phones on district campuses. Now, Lakeside Union District’s Board President Andrew Hayes has signaled he’s also interested in exploring the possibility – but not without hearing from stakeholders first.
Momentum to get cell phones out of classrooms has picked up across the state. Los Angeles Unified, the largest district in California, announced they were banning cell phones from campuses last month, even during breaks like lunch. Gov. Gavin Newsom then announced his support for such measures and state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would enact similar limitations.
Research has long shown cell phones lead to significant distractions in school. But evidence has also been mounting that they also may do significant damage to students’ mental health. Leaders of LA Unified and San Diego Unified say concern about students’ mental health and ability to socialize figures is partly motivating their bans.
Still, exactly how to implement a sweeping ban is unclear. Policing students’ phone usage and assuaging parents fears about not being able to contact their children will be difficult.
That’s why Hayes, Lakeside Union’s board president, said he wants to first consult with stakeholders. He plans to ask Lakeside’s board to survey community members, from teachers to administrators to law enforcement, about what impact a ban would have. San Diego Unified leaders also plan to seek community input prior to making any big decisions.
Hayes said a ban introduces a slew of potential complications. How will it impact potential emergencies on campuses? On what grades will a ban be in effect? Will a ban become another educational requirement not funded by the state?
“With the governor calling for a ban on student cell phone use and legislators already introducing various measures, will this benefit students’ education or will it take up more teachers’ time and cause greater distraction trying to enforce it?” Hayes wrote in an email. “Let’s get facts and input from the people who matter prior to enacting a new policy.”
Forward thinking educators who saw this problem getting out of control as far back as 2012 and earlier were essentially forced to keep quiet 🤐 or face consequences. It did not take being a rocket scientist to see the time would come when school districts would take such actions. But why wait this long to address the issue. Even, many parents are now of the opinion that giving their children cellphones to use for whatever reason in school, has also become problematic for them. Children are not matured enough to limit cellphone usage to emergencies because there are too many apps that create distractions in life generally, even for adults. The notoriety of TikTok, for example, has led to parents coming together now to sue TikTok and even the federal government has been seeking to ban the app in the U.S. Many businesses seek out that demographic to increase their revenues regardless of the harmful effects their products may have on children.