Reflecting on my time as a high school English teacher, I’ve noticed the strong influence that smartphones and technology exert on student learning. We kicked off the day with Chromebooks, and as those gradually faded from their focus, I could see it—students were losing interest. My own concentration was slipping away too, which made it clear something had to change.
Phones are pretty much a fixture of adolescence now, but today’s teens can’t imagine life without them. Honestly, I struggle with cursive writing or taking a test on paper. And that’s a concern.
As per a tracker by Education Week, thirty-two states have imposed restrictions or bans on cell phone use during school hours. A recent survey from the American Association of Educators showed that 70% of teachers back a complete ban on phones throughout the day, particularly as stricter rules are starting to take shape.
This issue, which initially emerged amid the pandemic as a reliance on online learning, has now escalated to a court case in Michigan. It’s being reported that a bipartisan bill has cleared the state House and is under consideration in the state Senate, aiming to permanently ban smartphones in schools. This trend seems to be gaining traction in Washington as well, where lawmakers are delving into the effects of screens on education.
During a recent hearing in Washington, Jared Horvath, who has a background in teaching and cognitive neuroscience, cautioned that technology can actually hinder learning. He advised lawmakers to tread carefully. “When technology enters education, learning diminishes,” he stated. “Whether it’s a phone, a laptop, or a desktop doesn’t matter. The source—be it a school-accredited device or labeled ‘educational’—is irrelevant. All these gadgets can negatively affect learning and child development.”
While technology undeniably offers benefits to modern education, it often brings challenges as well. Emily Churkin, a professor at the University of Washington, echoed this concern in her testimony. She mentioned that despite the belief that technology simplifies life and readies our children for the future, the reality is different. “Occupational therapists emphasize that we need to teach kids how to turn the pages of a book,” she noted. “There are preschool teachers saying young children shy away from messy activities. I even know a teenager who is so obsessed with his phone that he puts it in a Ziploc bag to take it into the shower.”
As schools address how to implement these bans, some sources suggest that merely imposing restrictions isn’t enough to curb screen time. It’s a step in the right direction, but achieving meaningful change in our students will likely require a community-wide effort.
