Even for full-grown adults, smartphones can be distracting and disruptive. As more and more kids grow up in a world surrounded by cell phones, schools around the country are grappling with what the classroom looks like in the age of ubiquitous cell phone use. Some states have blanket bans in place, or in their legislatures. However, Michigan has left it up to school districts to decide what to do.
Sneha Dhandapani, in a report for Bridge Michigan, spoke with several school officials and students throughout the state about the status of phones in their schools. Dhandapani says the primary reason given for allowing cells in school is parental concern for student safety. But by and large, students, teachers, and administrators are happier when phones aren't permitted in the classroom.
Dhandapani says many young people reflect on their time in school and with social media and realize phones in school were more harmful and helpful. "Were we really paying attention when we had our phones in class? And how many times were we texting our parents versus our friends?" Dhandapani wondered.
"There are a lot of students who can't really see a world where they don't have a cell phone in a classroom. And for students that have never seen a school without a cell phone ban, it's completely out of an ordinary."
Listen to our full conversation with Sneha Dhandapani on the Stateside podcast today.
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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Sneha Dhandapani, reporter for Bridge Michigan.
