Is a Phone Policy Really Necessary?

Why does Phone Policy have an effect on students and teachers, differently? At Academy For Young Writers most students heard about their phones being taken, and had really negative opinions of it. 

Negative: “In my opinion the whole phone policy is just an excuse for the school to avoid things like a kid almost getting stabbed hidden from public eye, this school hides EVERYTHING from us even tho it’s our safety and they are so scared for backlash or negative comments but they are about to make their students miserable. Also they are being inconsiderate to those students who have anxiety and other social issues or just people who want to listen to music or something in their free time in the school day.”   –Koii, 11th Grader.

Negative: “It’s a bad policy because some of us need our phones for a quick distraction. Plus I know people won’t listen without their phones or they’ll refuse to learn without them.” –Jayla, 11th Grader. 

Positive: “I think that phones should be collected because most of the time when kids are disengaged in class it’s because they’re on their phone and it saves the teachers time during their lesson from having to stop and address a kid for being on their phone. Students also always have access to phones during an emergency in the office and from their teachers.” -Faith, 11th Grader. 

But since our school thinks it a good idea because the students will not be distracted and not be focused on their phones. Phones in our school are overpopulated in every class. You can see and hear the teachers telling them to put it away multiple times. Yet they don’t listen. 

Now teachers, of course they will think that phones NEED to be taken away immediately. Either from them or the school principal or assistant principal themselves. Maybe during some classes you’re allowed to use it for school purposes. Like YouTube videos for school. Or looking up a drawing for Art.

Positive: “You can say lack of responsibility. You guys are in HS and need to be treated as emerging young adults. Taking away phones is babying you guys.  Taking away the phones will decrease student violence and drama because a lot of situations brew on social media.” -Jazzmin, Math Teacher

Positive/Negative: “As a teacher I understand why they want to implement the phone policy since students are easily distracted, so as a teacher I would definitely want to implement the policy. As a mother on the other hand, I feel as if there shouldn’t be a phone policy because if I was to ever shoot my kid a text they won’t be able to text me back since they won’t be able to reply to me.” –Trishawna, Science Teacher  

Positive and Negative: “School should teach you how to manage them like how you can use your phone without it being distracting. If they don’t use them properly there should be consequences but he’d rather have them students not have the phones all but if he had to choose he’d rather have the students not have the phones during the school day.”     –Micheal, History Teacher