Why Ban Phones?

By: Haasini Arivazhagan

Phone ban policies are being strictly enforced across Bay Area Schools, leading to many mixed opinions regarding this decision.  Despite the ongoing controversy the phone ban is necessary because it achieves the purpose of creating a distraction free environment for students to learn and thrive.

The Phone-Free Schools Act requires all school districts in California to adopt a policy restricting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026. Although there are still months left before this date, many schools have already banned the use of phones during school hours. Everyday students are expected to come into class and put their phones inside a secured pouch or box that stays with the teachers until the end of class. This decision has left many students feeling uneasy about being away from their phones, however, the phone free zone assists students in building a safe and healthy learning environment.

Improved Academic Focus

One of the most direct benefits of this policy is limiting distractions in a learning environment. Having a phone in class means there could be  many potential interruptions happening when people have to be focused on the task at hand. For example, if the phones aren’t silenced, calls could go off at any moment.The same goes for alarms or other alerts and notifications. Furthermore, even if the student isn’t using the phone during class, having it next to them will tempt them to want to use it at any given moment. Removing the phone from their eyeline will avoid these issues altogether. Without their phones, students will be able to devote all their time and attention to the topic they are learning in class.

Increased Academic Honesty

Because of such easy access to AI and the rest of the internet on their phones, students are more likely to cheat on tests. They will start to depend on their phones for answers to their questions and not put in the effort to learn the information themselves. Without this easy access students will start to depend on their own knowledge of the subject and will not turn to AI even for homework assignments since they know that they will be assessed on this information without any outside help in school environments.

Increased Social Interactions with Peers 

Even during free time many students choose their phone over friends. Removing phones forces students to make real connections, improving their social skills and ability to become friends with other people. They will be able to find  support from real people that they can depend on for the long term. A phone only works to entertain but doesn’t fulfill any of the other needs a student might have. While phones are very powerful in delivering all sorts of information to your door, it can’t do much else. Students still need to build those skills of patience, being able to sit  and learn for a longer period of time, which is being reduced by phone usage. If students keep hiding behind a screen they will have a harder time learning how to make real connections and build a social network and life, which they will regret later down the road. 

Improvement on Overall Mental Health

Phone usage in school increases their overall screentime. Constant screens will lead to more anxiety, potential depression and other effects. Students will become attached to their phone using it as a sort of coping mechanism to deal with stress. However, this will lead to more anxiety because they won’t know how to act or what to do without their phones. A phone holds so much of a student’s life and in turn will start to control it unless that student takes that control back at a very young age. Learning to prioritize their mental health and positive academic attitude is what many teachers hope becomes a result of this policy.