There is no denying the potential distraction posed by cell phones and social media in classrooms. Current students that I have observed through the Link2Practice program, and in various other educational settings have all had to (or try to) resist the temptation that cell phones and social media possess. A disproportionate amount of cellphone distraction that I have observed has been scrolling through social media; a practice that I myself am guilty of. The consequence of the high volume of inappropriate cell phone use in BC schools is the new cell phone policy, effectively banning student cell phone use on school property. While it is ultimately up to individual districts how the policy is to be realized (and up to teachers to implement and enforce it), the consensus in the BC ministry of education is that students should not use or have access to their cell phones during the school day.

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While a cell phone ban is a simple solution, at least on paper, I feel it precludes the tangible learning benefits that cell phones can offer students. Students are more likely to own a cell phone than they are to own a laptop, and barring the use of school-issued laptop computers many students won’t have access to the internet and the wealth of information that it holds.

Even without social media, cell phones are a powerful tool for socialization and connection. When I was in the fifth or sixth grade, I owned a Motorola flip phone so that I could communicate with my parents when I had to bus to and from sports and home. School can feel incredibly isolating, and even having access to friends, family, and a community over the phone is enough to help students feel more comfortable. Cell phones are not only a potential boon for education, they are a lifeline and a safety net for students. There is greater value to be found in devising clear guidelines for healthy and productive cell phone use than there is in pretending that they aren’t the greatest tool in students’ tool-kits.

Photo by Cottonbro Studio