David Eby, the Premier of BC and Chris Van der Mark, the superintendent of School District 27, announced on Jan 26 that they are implementing restrictions on cell phone use in school classrooms to protect students from online predators.
This means stopping unnecessary or inappropriate cell phone usage while in class.
Often, cell phone use has a negative impact on students’ personal lives with unwanted threats, cyberbullying, body-image distortion and sextortion.
A handful of students are unable to work on their phones to assist with classroom activities because they tend to be distracted by social media.
“I don’t mind if students listen to music, but very many students can’t help but look at their social media or texts and it’s very disruptive to the class and it definitely gets in the way of learning,” Ken Mackenzie, a teacher at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School who strongly agrees with the restrictions, explained.
A majority of the students at the high school agree with this restriction, although this may affect students who suffer with anxiety. Many kids use their phones to distract themselves when they become overwhelmed in the classroom, such as listening to music or texting friends and family.
“I don’t think there should be restrictions because they can be used for school, music can help students work and keep calm, and it’s a form of communication for parents and friends. Social life is an important aspect of school as well, so being able to communicate with students is useful,” Charlotte Steere, a student at PSO, said.
Her schoolmate Alexis Neels, however, is of a different opinion.
“Yes, I do think there should be a restriction on phones in class because students abuse the privilege to use their phones and I think it would help with concentration in class if there was no phones,” Neels said.
Due to their extreme workload, Principal Caitlin Currie and Vice Principal Shawn Meville were unable to comment on this matter.
As we’ve read more into the restrictions, Mackenzie Shepherd and I believe that phone usage should be slightly restricted because they don’t always serve a purpose in the classroom, unless it relates to the course that you’re doing at the moment. It takes away from face-to-face interaction.
Shepherd shared her opinion on phone usage. She is currently taking an online course about psychology that has proven that phones do not stimulate the brain to focus properly.
“Phones actually make the brain tired or wide awake which messes with your mind when trying to study or focus on anything in general,” she explained.