Across the United States, schools are enforcing stricter cell phone policies in an effort to reduce distractions and improve learning. WSHS is no different. But, is it actually effective?
Many teachers believe that the new policy works, as they’ve noticed fewer distractions during class and more students paying attention to their work.
“The feedback we’ve gotten from staff is that the phone ban is effective,” said WSHS Principal Dr. Jim Patrick. “It significantly reduces distractions in the classroom.”
History teacher Mark Witzel says that the new phone policy is an equal rule that sets everyone in line.
“I think the nice thing about this new policy is that it creates a blanket rule for all the teachers, so that you don’t have teachers who are strict with phones and get a bad reputation even though they’re all trying to follow the same rule set,” said Witzel.
However, not all students agree. For many, phones are more than just a distraction, they are a lifeline. They help students check in with parents, and stay connected with friends during the school day.
Sophomore Natalie Hsu expresses her dislike for the phone policy.
“I disagree with the phone policy because most of the time people use their phones to communicate with their peers more efficiently and connect with others better. Without phones, it’s harder to talk to friends especially if you don’t have classes with them,” said Hsu.
Another argument students make is about fairness. Many feel the policy is unfair because it applies the same restrictions to students who use their phones responsibly as to those who don’t.
“It seems unfair to treat all students the same, even though most follow the rules and use their phones responsibly,” said Hsu.
Although Dr. Patrick agrees in part with this perspective, he has no say in state policy decisions.
“I agree that students who truly need their phones should be able to have them, but state policy is not something I have control over,” said Dr. Patrick.
History teacher John Thorson argues that students’ brains are still developing and that most do not need phones during the school day.
“If you really need to speak to your parents during class, it should be an emergency call taken in private,” said Thorson.
Thorson stresses that many students don’t have a legitimate reason to use their cell phones and warns that even small allowances lead students to push the limits.
“You are juveniles, your brains aren’t fully developed. You have immediate gratification, and you cannot give me any justification for why the average student needs a cell phone during the school day,” said Thorson.
Though some WSHS students think that the new phone policy brought many unpleasant changes, ultimately, the state law cannot be compromised.
