There are movements across the U.S. to ban cell phone use in classrooms. Not everyone is on board, though, and brutal murders such as those in a Georgia school this week weigh heavily on public opinion.
The vast majority of education experts agree that bans are the best move forward, and those who disagree typically only believe the devices should be permitted for certain specific uses relevant to academics. Parents take a wider variety of positions, including emergency access.
With every school shooting, though, the question of contact in a worst-case scenario comes up again — and it could present difficulty in passing further cell bans.
Cell Phones Banned At State Level
States are beginning to pass laws that force local districts to ban cell phones from classrooms, and this has already raised a lot of debate from parents who want to be able to reach their kids during the day. Even some educational experts argue that kids should be learning the skills to moderate phone use and utilize devices for academic purposes instead of shutting them away entirely.
Still, emerging data suggests that too much screen time, especially when social media is accessed, can have serious detrimental effects on mental health, attention span, and impulse control.
An ideal solution would consider all these factors and offer a measured and logical standard to follow.
Parents Are Terrified Of The Next School Massacre
Appalachee High School in Georgia was the site of yet another school shooting this week, and as the attack is examined, there’s little or no fault to find with the school’s response.
The school was prepared for this.
There were multiple school resource officers on-site, and they’ve been hailed as heroes who helped limit how many deaths occurred. A system of panic buttons brought police to the site very quickly. The suspect was apprehended quickly, and injured victims were hurried to emergency services.
And despite all of that, two students and two teachers died.
Across America, parents’ hearts go out to those who lost their loved ones and terror rings because it could happen to any of us next.
Cell Phones In Emergency Settings
After these horrors, we see screenshots go viral. They show the inside story, a picture of what students felt while waiting for the crisis to end. One student after another texts home to tell their parents, “I love you,” for what could be the last time.
On Wednesday, according to ABC7, one Apalachee student texted his mother to say he was scared, adding, “I love you.” Another told her mom, “There’s a real lockdown,” and added, “I heard shots but I don’t anymore.”
These kids, waiting to know if they would ever stuff their backpacks in their lockers and head to class again, reached out to their parents for comfort and love, and support in one of the most terrifying moments of their lives.
Not many parents would willingly take that lifeline from their babies, no matter how old those ‘babies’ get.
Kids’ Cellphone Access Makes Parents Feel More Secure, Too
It’s unlikely that a parent hearing from their child could change the outcome of this kind of attack. Just the same, keeping that connection open gives parents a sense of security, according to EdWeek. Among other things, it assures parents who receive messages that their child is still alive and texting. They reported:
“School safety expert and parent Kenneth S. Trump (no relation to the former president) acknowledges this anxiety as a real and valid concern among parents—particularly in frightening moments of uncertainty, such as when there are reports of a shooter on campus. Having immediate cellphone access to their children, even when they’re in class, acts as an ’emotional security blanket’ for parents, said Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services.”
Cell Phone Access During Emergencies Can Create Additional Risks
The other side of this coin is that kids having their cell phones may create additional dangers in school, including during emergencies.
On an everyday basis, cell phones can give kids access to additional bullying and harassment, including incidents such as taking photos of classmates in locker rooms. They’ve also been used to disrupt the school day with bomb threats or school shooting threats.
In emergencies, they can cause additional risks, including parental contact. Dozens (or hundreds) of parents showing up at the school before law enforcement neutralize a threat can mean that emergency personnel have to split their resources to hold parents back, and may have more difficulty accessing the premises through masses of parents, National School Safety & Security Services points out.
There’s also the risk that students using cell phones may not hear important safety instructions, further endangering themselves and their classmates.
What This Means For Legislation
According to USA Today, Florida has passed legislation banning cell phones in classrooms, Indiana has passed laws limiting cell phone access in schools, and Ohio has passed legislation requiring each school district to set official policies.
At least five more states—Connecticut, Washington, Vermont, Kansas, and Oklahoma—are considering similar legislation.
Phone ban advocates intend to continue pushing for blanket bans. However, with the school year underway, news reports of shootings are beginning again, and parents may be more motivated to contact their legislators and let their feelings be known.
Whether this will sway the outcome of pending legislation remains to be seen.