EDITORIAL: Restricting phone use will sharpen classroom focus

The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·2 min read

Sep. 11—Why it matters: Banning students' use of cellphones during class time sharpens focus by avoiding distractions.

Anyone with a cellphone knows the drill. No matter how hard you try to ignore that text or social media notification, somehow you just ... can't... stop ... checking.

We react like Pavlov's dogs to the buzz or ding or sing-songy phone tone that sets us off on a quest to find out who is paying attention to us.

If adults have trouble coming up with the willpower to ignore the siren song of the cellphone, think of being up against the extra elements of peer pressure, social anxiety and plain old brain development that younger minds have to grapple with on top of that.

It's a recipe for disaster in a classroom where teachers have to compete against the magnetic attraction to phones to teach algebraic equations, subject-verb agreement and the history of civil rights.

Banning cellphone use during classes in Mankato public school classrooms makes complete, logical, practical sense, and it's a wonder it didn't happen long ago. The School Board voted last week on the policy.

The board, however, is far from alone in taking such action. In 2020, cellphone bans were in place in 77% of U.S. schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. And recently, even more districts have either enacted or are considering such bans.

The studies have been done revealing the negative effects of youth overusing electronic devices and the U.S. attorney general issued a warning earlier this summer saying social media can carry "a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents."

But just as important is that the Mankato district leadership listened to its own teachers and administrators about the challenges phone use in classrooms present. The distraction is insurmountable. If the choice is between diving into a new, maybe difficult academic topic or checking a text from a friend, the text will win in most cases.

Students have faced multiple challenges during the last few years that have taken a toll on academic success and mental health. Reducing the use of cellphones in schools is a step that can help in both those areas. The policy isn't designed to punish kids; it's to help them tackle what they came to school to do.