Virginia has recently become one of the many states that have enacted a phone ban on students during school hours. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order to limit or ban cell phone use for roughly 1.2 million public school students, in what he described as a “response to mental health issues and academic underachievement among adolescents” (usnews.com). This ban has caused a discourse amongst the students. Students are upset that they can’t have their phones during their lunchtime, which is usually their downtime. There will likely be an increase in students wanting to go to the bathroom and get out of class. Finally, students are becoming smarter with how they are accessing their phones.
The government’s reasoning for this law is the belief that it is for the better good of children. Sources tell us that the government thinks that reducing the usage of phones would force the student to use their ideas and resources, ultimately reducing cheating. The government has stated that phones keep students distracted, and unable to engage with other students. A study by Data Quest has shown how the location of one’s phone can affect scores.
Another study shows that the usage of cell phones at night can cause insomnia for the child.
I see this every day, seeing as we come into school at 7 in the morning and some kids look like they didn’t go to sleep till 5. I don’t fully agree with the methods they are taking with the phones, as many of my classmates do, but I do believe they are doing this for the greater good of children’s mental health.
