Ring! Ring! Ring!
School is back in session, but the recent Texas Legislature has determined that cell phones will not be allowed during school hours, much to the dismay of students across the state.
Texas House Bill No. 1481 states that “The policy must prohibit student use of personal communication devices, which includes cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices capable of telecommunication or digital communication—on school property during the school day.”
This drastic change from Paschal’s rather lenient policy on cell phones has caused a significant amount of buzz across the school.
“I don’t like it. I got it taken up,” said Senior, Israel Planty
Although the motto for the phone ban is “Put it away, learn today”, this hasn’t necessarily been the truth for all students.
“It hasn’t really helped me focus more. I can’t set reminders on my phone, so I don’t remember to do my work,” says Junior, Bella Presley
Some students disagree, appreciating the distraction-free environment of not having phones.
Junior Millicent Maddox says, “I like the phone ban because whenever I don’t have anything to do, it forces me to do more schoolwork, and after school, I have more time to focus on other things.”
Students may have differing opinions about the cell phone ban, but one sentiment rings true: We miss our phones. However, teachers seem to love the phone ban.
Mrs. Linker says, “I am 100% on board. All of the problems schools face can be traced back to cell phone usage.”
“It’s an amazing thing,” says Ms. Bruns. She thinks that students will have better opportunities to interact during downtime, a better ability to get work done in class rather than at home, and to face adversity, which she believes helps to build strength.
In a book she read over the summer, “The Anxious Generation”, the author uses an analogy of the Biosphere, an artificial dome set up in the desert, and removes all wind to mimic the conditions of Mars.
In the Biosphere, trees would fall when they reached a certain height, and it was found that after further testing, it was found that the reason the trees fell was due to the lack of wind. When trees are exposed to wind, it helps them build stronger trunks and deeper roots, whereas when trees aren’t exposed to wind, they don’t grow to be as strong.
This is a wonderful example of how when people are exposed to more adversity in their adolescence, they grow up to be stronger people as a whole.
“I don’t think kids are getting that same experience nowadays”. She says.
The phone ban continues to be an incredibly controversial subject amongst both students and teachers, and we’ll see how the opinion of the ban shifts as the school year goes on. For now, remember to stay off those phones and on the Pantherette!
