It’s hard to imagine going anywhere without seeing someone on their smartphone, but that’s exactly what many schools are trying to accomplish. 35 states have banned smartphones in school for various reasons. As reports suggest that student achievement in reading and math in the United States is lower than it was 10 years ago, many school leaders blame phone use in schools.
The idea is that phones distract students, shorten their attention span, and negatively impact mental health. Ten years ago, smartphones were much less common in classrooms. So it makes sense to wonder if their use is contributing to lower grades. However, studies of schools where no-phone policies have been implemented have not found significant positive impacts on academic achievement. That doesn’t mean administrators are rushing to overturn bans, though. Beyond the desire to improve student learning, phone bans aim to improve school climate and reduce classroom distractions, inappropriate phone use, and cyberbullying.
The majority of public schools have at least one policy to prevent phone use during class, but some schools have implemented what is called a “bell-to-bell” ban, which prohibits phone use from the morning bell until the dismissal bell. High schools are the main target of these bans, but middle schools and elementary schools also test them, and these K-8 grade levels often have a more restrictive bell-to-bell policy. Even if grades are not improved, there are other notable impacts. Additionally, because phone bans are a relatively recent development, it is unclear what the long-term effects will be.
The reality of phone bans
According to a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, when phone bans are introduced in a school, during the first year, rates of disciplinary action often increase and students report lower subjective well-being. However, in the years following a ban, well-being improves at higher rates than before the phone ban, and behavioral problems decline over time to pre-ban levels. The report also shows that school-wide cell phone use is decreasing, so students aren’t just spending time in front of a screen.
The same report found no significant association between phone bans and improved academic performance. This may be because students are distracted in other ways, including using authorized laptops. This could also be linked to continued phone use outside of school, such as sleep being significantly affected by smartphone use. Test results may not show clear, quantifiable improvement, but the increase in reported well-being and support for restricting phone use suggest that banning phones in classrooms could make a real difference to the student experience.
Ultimately, most studies have looked at the effects of phone bans over a period of up to three years, so the long-term effects remain to be discovered. While the lack of clear academic improvement may be disappointing, it does not justify schools reversing their bans. At the very least, it will help teachers, many of whom consider cell phone distraction a major problem (just think about how distracting your phone notifications actually are), have better control over their classrooms.
