**The column below represents the personal views of the student journalist.
In Mrs. Faulkner’s fifth period Journalism class, the class begins with almost everyone sitting at a desk or scrambling to find their desk, and everyone’s heads are down with part of their face lit up by a blinding screen. Later during class, Mrs. Faulkner decides to give notes on ‘How to write a stance for your big opinion piece.’ Over half of the class is not paying attention because they are too busy scrolling on Tiktok.
On July 1, 2025, the phone ban laws in school went into effect, banning them during the day except for using for an “educational purpose”. Schools should ban cellphones in class because kids are on them all of the time, they can cheat on assignments with them, and they are not used properly. At NAHS, the administration permits students to use them in class for academic benefits, but they can use them during passing period and lunch and also they are allowed to have it on their person during class. It just needs to be out of sight, out of mind. According to a NAHS poll of ten students, 4/10 students support banning phones during class. Geometry teacher Rick Belcher also thinks that phones should be banned during class time.
“Cellphones are a CRAZY distraction during my classes,” Belcher said.
“Numerous studies have shown that students who are not distracted by their phones tend to focus better in class and perform better on tests. In particular, research from the London School of Economics found that student test scores improved by 6.41% in schools that implemented a mobile phone ban. The effect was especially pronounced for low-achieving students, as the removal of distractions helped them focus more on their work,” according to Mdsearchlight’s study.
If NAHS were to make this mobile phone ban more strict, bins should be provided for students to put their phones in during class. Parents can also help by adding a screen time limit on their child’s phone to where all they can do is call and text emergency contacts during school hours to prevent cheating, the use of AI on assignments and tests during class, and not cyberbullying others during the implemented class time.
Although there are many safety hazards of a child not being able to have their phone during school like schools not being safe, in case of a medical emergency, or a death of a family member, if a family member tells the nurse or principal about a medical issue, they can have a specific device provided by the doctor for the medical emergency. For example, someone with diabetes is given a device called a Dexcom, which is separate from a phone. Someone can call the principal about the given news to be able to tell the student instead of the student finding out about it by themself. Schools also have many safety drills given each month to ensure the child’s safety while at a place of education.
Mdsearchlight also provided information on cyberbullying prevention on mobile devices. “Another significant benefit of banning cell phones, particularly for middle and high school students, is a decrease in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has become a prevalent issue with the rise of social media and instant messaging apps, and it often takes place during school hours. By limiting access to cell phones, schools can reduce the opportunities for students to engage in harmful behavior. A study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center found that over 34% of students between ages 12 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying at some point, with many incidents occurring during school hours.”
In order to help improve education, students should put down their phones and lock in to class instead of cheating on assignments, using AI to do your work for you, and to not bully others.