Noah F. (’28) and Max M. (’28) bond over a mobile game together during lunch.

Opinion: Should dTHS strengthen its no-cell-phone policy?

Are cell phones limiting the ceiling of a student’s high school experience?

Prowler Editors

September 20, 2024

‘Outrageous’! Let us keep our phones

The Los Angeles Unified School District’s decision to ban phone usage for the whole day could possibly bring small benefits but is overall an outrageous plan.

Taking phones away from students for a whole day seems unrealistic. Just think about all the cases where cell phone use is helpful and even necessary for learning. Not only are phones needed in case of emergency, but they are commonly used to check your email or next class during passing periods.

Phones are efficient tools in this sense. You take them out in a matter of seconds, press a button with your hand, and a task that would take a couple minutes loading up on your computer is completed within seconds on your phone.

LAUSD is banning phone use in school for another reason: the main problem with phone use in school is that [students are] “not talking to each other or playing at lunch or recess,” according to LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin in a LA Times article.

While this may be true, phones themselves might not be the root cause of this issue.

We think it is apparent that social media is the main issue when it comes to phone use in school. Social media has become the norm when most kids turn on their phone. Open your phone, press a button and you can get quick dopamine hits with the swipe of a finger.

Some students will try to use their devices as a reason to be alone during breaks in the day. They might have online conversations, scroll through content or do anything to not be in the moment.

Why would an introvert want to go through the process of talking to or making friends when they have an infinite amount of people they can relate with in their pocket?

On the other hand, many friend groups will bond over entertainment on their phone. A lot of students enjoy playing mobile games, talking about sports or even laughing at a social media post with friends.

Like many things in life, you will only benefit from phones if you use them for their great advantages. Social media scrolling is something that should be done in your own free time, or to unwind after a long day.

So for now, the most reasonable option is to allow phone use during the school day, and trust students to take advantage of their hand-held devices for a better social and educational experience.

Students place their phones in phone pockets at the beginning of every class. (Avery Muler)

Cell phone ban ‘would benefit everyone’

Members of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education recently voted to ban the use of cell phones during school hours. de Toledo High School should join these schools in participating in this ban.

Taking away student’s cell phones may seem a bit absurd at first, but after considering the facts, it becomes more clear that banning cell phones during the school day would benefit everyone.

There is little to no benefit for granting students this distraction. These phones serve as both a diversion from the lesson and the world around them.

The temptation to reach for your phone to check your notifications or send a quick message is likely to draw your attention away from the teacher and whatever material is being taught. In addition, the ban would force students to engage in more positive activities than staring at the screen to avoid the world.

Having our phones on us during the school day is likely to hurt our social skills. For example, the ability to interact with other students in-person and not through a phone builds communication skills.

Staring at a device such as a cell phone may send the message that the device owner does not want to be bothered. Additionally, the use of mobile games makes it more difficult for new students to find new friends.

The rule regarding phones dTHS has now needs to be strengthened. Phones being kept away for the 50 minutes of class should be extended to the hours of the school day.

Doom scrolling on social media does not bring value to our lives. Time we spend scrolling could be spent on more productive activities.

School is a place where parents send their children to learn subjects and life skills, not to mindlessly scroll on our phones.

de Toledo students will continue to flourish once we can focus on our education and what’s around us, not social media or mobile apps.

Recent studies suggest that cell phone use can have negative effects on teens’ mental health. Why should something so harmful be allowed on school grounds?

Other schools, including Heschel and Pressman Academy have also taken note of this and put their own ban in place.

The obvious question that this situation brings up is how would this ban work? Once class begins at 8:30 a.m., students will put their phones in their bags. They will remain there until the end of the school day.

This controversial rule can be easily tested. Students should be informed of the cell phone ban and the new rule should be implemented for a few days with faculty monitoring student’s responses.

If it is agreed that this is a positive change, de Toledo High School should permanently ban phones during the entire school day.