Device use in classroom raises questions about district policy, possible effect on students

classroom cell phone usage to the teachers.

are self-inflicted.

Junior Mackenzie Ramsey notes that her phone has inhibited her ability to focus, which she believes is due to the constant stimulation and ever-changing content on social media and other online platforms.

“[Our generation] is getting phones at really young ages. A lot of [parents] just hand their kids a phone to be entertained,” Ramsey said. “So now when we are handed something we’re not interested in, it’s really hard for us to focus on it because we are so used to being entertained.”

The addiction starts as early as elementary school, instilling the urge to constantly check one’s phone early on.

“I was ten when I got my first phone, and it was mostly to contact people,” sophomore Carly Quiram said. “I probably spend an hour a day actively looking at my phone, but I always have music or a podcast playing.”

When it comes to regulating phones in educational settings, A&M Consolidated’s staff does not have a unanimous policy. As a graphic design teacher, Graebner finds that her opinion differs from that of a typical core teacher. Because her class assignments are usually independent and completed via computer, she feels that minimal cell phone usage doesn’t always slow down productivity.

“I don’t mind if my students [listen to] music,” Graebner said. “And if they get a text and want to glance at it, I am pretty lenient. However, there should be an expectation that when a lesson is being delivered, phones shouldn’t be out.”

Consol has allocated the supervision of

“The administration has basically left it up to us teachers to police [cell phones],” astronomy teacher Samuel Childers said. “We’ve been told from the administration that whatever we decide, as far as the cell phone policy in our classrooms, they will follow along with that. But it seems there is no overarching leadership in that regard. I think it’s fine, but I also think there needs to be a campus-wide policy as well.”

Software like Schoology and Google Drive are a core part of the modern school setting; however, sophomore Kate Bobbitt believes that schools have the unique opportunity to help dial back screen time through simple changes.

“I feel paper tests are better for our brain,” Bobbitt said. “Students don’t need to be staring at a screen all day.”

Meanwhile, many students hold the opinion that classroom cell phone usage should be self-regulated.

“I think things like making students put their phones at the front of the room are unnecessary,” Ramsey said. “As high schoolers, if someone thinks their phone is more important than their schoolwork, that is their decision. If high school is supposed to set you up for college or the real world, then [students] need self-discipline. A professor isn’t going to give you a detention for being on a phone.”

Quiram agrees, stating that ultimately the decision should be left in the hands of the student, and that consequences

“Although I do think phones can be distractions, I think if there was a harsher [phone] policy in school, then it would just swing the other direction,” Quiram said. “We’re teenagers.”

At the end of the day, technology is fundamental to modern society and will continue to expand in educational settings. Nevertheless, with adulthood looming around the corner, it is important to consider mediating personal phone usage without the push of authority figures.

“It’s hard to stay off my phone if it’s not on ‘do not disturb,’” Ramsey said. “When notifications pop up, I feel like I need to see what’s going on.”