Debate of the day 3-4-26

Should students be allowed to have there phones in school.
(please elaborate your answer)

Such decisions seem most likely to be resolved by balancing positives and negatives -- risks and rewards.

Individual cell phones for students (during classroom hours, while in school) seem to provide a strong positive in one circumstance: during a highly unlikely but not impossible emergency.

They also provide some positives as possible vehicles for in-class experimentation or research, particularly during science and math classes. However, this is not a positive that cannot be provided in other ways -- such as the use of well-regulated school computers and other school resources.

To weigh against these positives must be balanced a seeming (to me, at least) host of negatives.

Phones are an insidious distraction. Students glancing beneath the level of the desk at their phones during class, over and over, often to make or read texts to or from other distracted students, does not promote learning, to say the least.

It does provide the possibility, however, of fostering bullying, coordinated mischief, cheating, and so forth.

So long as every classroom has a teacher with a cell phone to handle emergencies, I think, on balance -- and it is unlikely to be a popular opinion among students, admittedly -- that cell phones in classrooms do MUCH more harm than good.

Some school systems have gradually, perhaps reluctantly, come to the same conclusion. During school hours, some schools are now prohibiting student cell phone possession in class, reportedly.

On balance -- and at the moment -- I suspect that's wise and possibly long overdue. But I'd love to hear honest, effective arguments to the contrary, and would be willing to change my mind.

However, I'll note in advance that I (at least) do not consider "ooooh, like school is so, uhm, BORING" to be a valid counterargument. Of course, what I think doesn't matter much -- I'm not a school administrator, although they have my sympathy.

Yes, they should.
You need access for personal things, like communication or documents, and access of internet.
Keep in mind, whatever it is good or bad, is determined only by user. So any arguments supporting or against any albirtary set of users implying should students be allowed... or should not students be allowed..., should consider that user is the problem, not the device.

@Damkiller25 said ^

Yes, they should.
You need access for personal things, like communication or documents, and access of internet.
Keep in mind, whatever it is good or bad, is determined only by user. So any arguments supporting or against any albirtary set of users implying should students be allowed... or should not students be allowed..., should consider that user is the problem, not the device.

wouldn't using a iPad also provide communication, documents, and access of internet?

A given user may be a problem, sure. But that doesn't mean such decisions cannot be made by the adults responsible for making them.

Schools have rules for a reason. And those rules have to be well considered by the adults who care and have experience and understanding of the facts.

@Noflaps said ^

@IncogInterlocutor said ^

Yes, they should.
You need access for personal things, like communication or documents, and access of internet.
Keep in mind, whatever it is good or bad, is determined only by user. So any arguments supporting or against any albirtary set of users implying should students be allowed... or should not students be allowed..., should consider that user is the problem, not the device.

wouldn't using a iPad also provide communication, documents, and access of internet?

Yes

@Noflaps said ^

A given user may be a problem, sure. But that doesn't mean such decisions cannot be made by the adults responsible for making them.

Schools have rules for a reason. And those rules have to be well considered by the adults who care and have experience and understanding of the facts.

I think that rule should be applied to user, rather than a group. It is not always possibile to apply general rule, for group, with will be good for each user.

I understand your point, I believe, @Damkiller25 .

No doubt SOME students would put their phones away during school hours and act responsibly.

But that creates a much greater variety of enforcement challenges and would likely be greeted by cries of "ooooh, not fair, how come JOHNNY gets a phone and I don't?"

There aren't enough hours in the day.

I think of it this way: there are no doubt some race drivers who could handle a higher speed limit on the highways.

But rules have to be simple, clear and non-discriminatory to work best, usually, I think.

And if a "good student" intends to COMPLY with a no-cell-phones rule, why would he or she care if the rule is there?

I remain unconvinced but thank you for a thoughtful response.

@mylastwords said ^

Should students be allowed to have there phones in school.

No.

@Damkiller25 said ^

@IncogInterlocutor said ^

Yes, they should.
You need access for personal things, like communication or documents, and access of internet.
Keep in mind, whatever it is good or bad, is determined only by user. So any arguments supporting or against any albirtary set of users implying should students be allowed... or should not students be allowed..., should consider that user is the problem, not the device.

wouldn't using a iPad also provide communication, documents, and access of internet?

Yes

well I think students don't need a phone because phones have small screens which are bad for ur eyes, basically can do exactly everything a iPad can do, iPads cost less than phones, most students don't need a phone and not all students get phones