American states want to ban phones in schools. This could be a challenge

1 day ago

By Ana Faguy, Laura Blasey and Regan Morris, BBC News, Washington and Los Angeles

Getty

As a middle school teacher, Nancy Streit understands how difficult it can be to compete with a smartphone for a child's attention.

But as a mother, she knows these devices are essential in an emergency.

It's mostly parents who call, she said, adding that although she doesn't allow phone use in her classroom, students routinely bend the rules.

The Los Angeles school district where Ms. Streit teaches — the second-largest school district in the country — is the latest to ban smartphone use in schools this week.

It's part of a growing and familiar trend as more states and schools across the United States consider how to deal with children's growing dependence on their devices.

New York and California, two of the most populous U.S. states, are considering new statewide policies on the issue.

Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom called for a ban on smartphones in classrooms and said he would work with lawmakers on a policy. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has advocated for a similar law.

This spring, Indiana's governor signed a law banning classrooms, which is expected to take effect in the fall.

The efforts mark the latest chapter in a long debate over controlling smartphone use in schools, and come amid a wave of concern about young people's mental health in the wake of the pandemic.

Most American schools already have some sort of telephone policy. About 76% of schools have banned their use for non-academic purposes in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The latest wave of regulations, however, seeks to go further.

Raphaela Hodges, a sixth-grade teacher at a Los Angeles school, says she's seen a worrying and dramatic change in the way children socialize.

“When they're not comfortable, they answer the phone,” she told the BBC.

It's also an issue with rare bipartisan consensus, with lawmakers in Republican- and Democratic-controlled states pursuing similar policies.

Last year, Florida implemented a state law that required school districts to ban access to phones in classrooms and block access to social media on school Wi-Fi. school.

The law also requires schools to provide education about the social, emotional and physical effects of social media.

Some state districts, including Maine and Virginia, are also instituting stricter rules regarding phone use, as are provinces in Canada, including Ontario and Alberta.

A debate that continues

Concerns about phones in schools have existed for almost as long as these devices have existed, with little consensus and much controversy.

The United States has seen several attempts to ban communication devices in classrooms since the 1980s.

Early critics worried that the phones could distract students and their association with drug trafficking.

But the 1999 shooting at Colorado's Columbine High School, in which 13 people died, led some parents and schools to re-evaluate the telephone as a key communications tool in an emergency. States have relaxed the rules, including California, which repealed a phone ban in 2002.

The debate was reignited as schools viewed the phone as a growing distraction, an aid to cyberbullying and a potential way for students to cheat on homework.

New York City, which has a total student population of more than 1 million, began imposing a strict ban — but reversed course in 2015 to allow individual schools to set policies.

Getty Images

Social media use and student mental health

The current wave of policies comes as experts voice concerns about student mental health and social media use.

One of America's top health officials on Monday called for warning labels similar to those on cigarette boxes on social media platforms.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has argued that social media increases the risk of children experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, although research on the subject is mixed.

“You have a situation where kids are not only trying to learn, but they're simultaneously on their phones, they're texting their friends, they're responding to messages on social media, they're scrolling through their feeds,” a Dr Murthy told the BBC.

“This makes it very difficult not only to learn, but also to build relationships and friendships at school.”

Teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, according to a study published in 2019 and frequently cited by federal social media offices. health.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for warning labels similar to those on cigarette boxes on social media platforms.

Will it work?

Will the policy change last? Schools have always struggled to balance security with limiting social media sirens.

Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, said policies won't work without strong community consensus and consistent enforcement.

“There's a lot more to it than the average parent or anyone looking from afar realizes. It's a thorny issue, it has a lot of complexities,” Mr. Trump said.

In Los Angeles, board members voted Tuesday to ban the devices starting next year. But how this policy will work is still unclear.

Alyssa, an 18-year-old from Los Angeles, where many schools have thousands of students, told the BBC she couldn't imagine being in high school without a phone.

We have huge campuses and no one can monitor all of that, she said. There are tons of areas you can go to without being seen.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce99443qweno The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos