Cell phones

Students and staff discuss evolving cell phone policies

By Claire Terzich

Science teacher Jeff Jorgensen has been trying to be more lenient about cell phones with students, after the year online. “I haven’t been as strict about it this year as I have been in the past because I’m trying to work with kids who are more anxious or feel like they have to have their phone really close all the time,” Jorgensen said.

Phone usage has always been a varying opinion topic here at AHS. During the pandemic, students had access to their phones often due to the school year online. With technology becoming a bigger part of everyone’s lives, phone regulations have evolved over time in classrooms.

Jorgensen has been working at AHS for 32 years. He has seen how phone use has affected students and has learned its benefits and downsides. Jorgensen has tried to alter his phone policies so they are more accommodating to students who have trouble keeping off of their phones. He has discussed phone usage with teachers who share similar opinions.

“I mean it’s tougher now coming back after distance learning from COVID because everybody got so used to having 24/7 access to their phones.” Jorgensen said. “I have talked about that with some other teachers and it seems like they are feeling the same way. At the same time, we are working to get more kids less dependent on their phones, but we are not trying to do it all at once.”

Social Studies teacher Jodi Soares’ Phone policies encourage students to assess, on their own, whether or not their phone is being a distraction to their learning.

“So my students, many of them use their phones to do work on [google] classroom and so forth. So I allow students to do that, I encourage my students to be self-aware enough to not use the phone as a distraction, but I don’t take the phone away from them unless I’ve had a conversation with the parents about that.” Soares said.

Sophomore Aaron Arellano believes as long as it’s not a distraction for students, then phones should be able to be used in class.

“Some of my teachers are pretty strict when it comes to phone use but I think it should be acceptable to use it after you finish your work and you’re not distracting anyone. It’s also good because you can use it for educational purposes, you don’t just have to mess around, you can progress with your learning.” Arellano said.

Science teacher Brian Glaze’s phone policies have always been about whether or not they are a distraction for students.

“I always started out with a hard no phones ever and you spend way too much time being a phone monitor throughout the day you barely get to do any of your actual teaching. Mine usually has always been if it’s not a distraction to you or others and you are doing your work, I don’t care.” Glaze said.

On the contrary, Senior Benjamin Teasley believes increased phone regulations would be beneficial for students.

“I feel like phones should be regulated more in classes just in general because I feel like students will just participate more and learn a lot more and get a better grade overall. In multiple communities and different schools, it would boost grade averages because students will learn, produce more, and be able to pay attention in classes.” Teasley said.

Jorgensen referred to a 2015 study at UC San Diego with 520 UC San Diego undergraduate students, by cognitive psychologist Adrian Ward and three colleagues to determine how much the proximity of one’s phone impacts their brainpower. This study was mentioned by the Wall Street Journal, in the article “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds”.

“Research shows that people that have their phones in their desk and in their pockets do worse than people who have it in another room during an assessment or task. They are a constant distraction. One of the challenges of it is that you’re not even aware of it. They tested this on students, mostly in colleges...they [researchers] asked if your [the students] phone distract you and they said no it didn’t. It did distract them and they didn’t realize it.” Jorgensen said.

Soares believes future phone policies should rely on the type of student and give students the ability to think for themselves.

“I think it depends on the grade level of the student and the maturity level. In a perfect world, students would be aware enough to put their phone away when it’s being a distraction.” Soares said. “If you just make a blanket policy that phones should not be in class, you’re not teaching students to be responsible.”

How do you think teachers should handle phone policies in class?

Senior Michelle Adutwum

“Students shouldn’t have their phones taken away because there’s emergencies that can happen. “

Junior Erica Baeza

“I think teachers shoule be more linenent of students with phones. I think a good rule is allowing them [phones] unless its a repaeated offense and becomes a big distraction. “

Junior Lisa Kamau

“I think teachers should limit the amount of time that students spend on their phones . I also think if it’s used as a learning tool they [students] should be able to go on it. “ CAMPUS 7