Should NJ schools ban cell phones? Districts grapple with tough decision

📱 Should New Jersey Schools ban cell phones?

📱 Studies show cell phone use hinders learning

📱 Gov. Murphy open to statewide ban

The latest issue befuddling many New Jersey school districts as they prepare for the new academic year is what to do about cell phones.

A growing number if districts are debating policies that would severely restrict cell phone use or ban their possession outright in classrooms.

Why are cell phones a concern in school?

Educators have long worried cell phones, and their connection to social media, were taking student's attention away from learning.

This concern was amplified by a new study from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) that found a clear link between phone usage and a decline in academic performance among 15-year-olds.

The study found the more time students spent staring at their phones, the worse they did in school. Those students also tended to be a distraction to other students in a classroom.

The PISA study also found a correlation between student well-being and phone use, with students who engage more with their phones and social media feeling worse about their life.

New Jersey has seen steady increase in cyber-bullying linked to social media via cell phone use.

What is being done about it in New Jersey?

In the previous academic year, some districts enacted strict policies regarding cell phone use in school.

A handful of districts required them to be kept in a locker or secured in a special pouch. They were not allowed to be taken out during class.

Middletown Township has taken that a step further by introducing a near total ban on cell phone use by students.

A new policy being considered by the school board would ban the use of cell phones in classrooms, bathrooms, locker rooms and just about everywhere else except during a student's 'free period.'

What have other states done about cell phones in school?

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has ordered his education officials to create a set of guidelines that will lead to the "restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time."

The New York City and Los Angeles school districts are looking into similar restrictions.

Efforts to ban cell phones in school have been bolstered by data published by the American Psychological Association stressing the importance of taking cell phones out of the classroom. Their research cites the difficulty children can have multitasking as a result of their underdeveloped brains.

Could New Jersey implement a statewide cell phone ban in school?

Maybe.

A spokesman for Gov. Phil Murphy recently told NJ.com that Murphy would not rule out taking statewide action, similar to what was done in Virginia.

Former State Senator Dick Codey introduced legislation before he retired in January to ban cell phones in classrooms statewide, but the bill never got a hearing.

Teachers are for a cell phone ban in school

The Pew Research Center published a recent study that found the majority of the nation's school teachers believe cell phone distraction is a major issue.

Teachers say they are often forced to confront students about focusing on social media activity and texting rather than paying attention to classwork.

A statewide or even a district ban would make it easier for teachers to enforce a no phone policy and remove potential confrontations.

Parents are mixed on banning phones

Perhaps the reason more districts have not implemented cell phone bans is due to pushback from some parents.

Many parents say in the age of school lockdowns, potential mass shooters and in the event of any emergency, they need to be able to reach their kids.

In Middletown, school superintendent Jessica Alfone acknowledged the challenges from parents as phone ban was discussed among school board members. Alfone warned the ban could be "really hard to enforce."

The bottom line

This is an issue that is not going away.

Districts have already been grappling with significant learning loss from the pandemic.

Any further erosion of attention in the classroom will only make the academic challenges facing New Jersey school districts that much more difficult to navigate.

Despite Gov. Murphy's openness to a blanket cell phone ban in schools, the enactment of a statewide policy is not likely.

Similar to policies involving COVID restrictions, the decision about how to handle cell phones in school will likely remain in the hands of local school districts.

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