Phone usage has been a struggle for some teachers around the school district. Now, lawmakers are implementing a proposed phone ban in schools, but is this the best option? Students all around school use phones for their education translators, learning and other uses. For this reason, the phone ban should not be passed and put into the school’s policy.

Students are concerned with how this phone ban would affect and not affect school life. The phone ban is meant to limit phones’ impact on a student’s learning and mental health. An “all out” phone ban is present in 43% of American high schools nationwide. However, students find that, for our school at least, this would not be the best option to tackle phone usage.

Psychology teacher Kevin Klancher expressed his concerns about phone use and the effects it has on mental health. He was less concerned about how it affects school life and was more concerned about the fact that “they kind of are constantly in comparison, comparing themselves to others and that definitely has a negative effect.”

Teachers and students are mostly on opposing side of this issue. Some believed the phone ban would be beneficial for education, while students experiencing it each and every day believe it would do little to nothing for education.

In a meeting of the education panel board members thought that limiting phone usage in schools would be a “game changer” and would better schooling for many. However, students are concerned about how little this ban would do if put into place here.

The education board gave a broad description of what this phone ban would ensue. However, the way Stillwater would establish this phone ban would be similar to what is engrained in the policy. For this reason, the all-out phone ban would not change anything about how phones are dealt with as of today.

“I know that they are talking about having no phones for like the class periods and the class days like right now that teachers can pick and choose if they want to use that. But the word on the street is that next year they’re trying to just do the phone ban for the school,” school counselor Patricia Grgurovic said.

Students believe that even if it were implemented, they would find a way to be on their phones or be distracted during class. At the same time, others question why this would need to be state-wide or even school-wide.

Others doubt that teachers would even have the energy to enforce this new ban.

“I don’t think teachers are going to even want to take the time to enforce it. Because like if you remember starting the school year, you know, almost every teacher put it in folders but like literally not enforce that anymore. Anything. They try and they just kind of give up,” Dominic Slaughter said.

As a whole, students do not believe that this phone ban should be put into place. They find that how classes are and how phones are dealt with as of this year is sufficient for phone regulations. They express that it should be the student’s personal responsibility to focus on their studies.

The governor’s proposed phone ban for schools in the 2024-2025 school year should not be passed. Students need to stand up and speak out against this ban to express what they know is beneficial for them. This ban will only cause more trouble than it is worth.