Screen Time during School Hours: Should students be allowed to use their phones in school?

Amanda Kresse 27'

Phones are devices that almost everyone seems to have in this day and age. Whether you love them or hate them, they are definitely here to stay. They offer plenty of different services and are used for many different things. Phones are also found to be especially popular among adolescents, many of which attend schools that have rules that prohibit phone usage during school hours.

At many schools, phones are not allowed to be used for many reasons, but mostly because they can distract students from getting the quality education they go to school to get. However, if there is nothing for a student to do during the school day, whether during a lunch period or during free time, students should be allowed to enjoy their break from school work.

Not only are students during school hours not allowed to use their phones, but the punishments can also be harsh. Usually, if a student is caught on their phone, the student gets their phone confiscated for the rest of the day. However, after the second or third offense, the consequences for taking a phone break can be much more severe and result in having no phone access during the school day.

Furthermore, the phone policies at schools are understandable if hard work and serious learning are taking place. However, if the student is granted some downtime during the day, they should have the opportunity to rest their mind from working during an eight hour school day and be able to use their phone.