A panel of students gathered this month to give feedback on North Carolina’s cellphone ban in schools, sharing their experiences with the governor’s Advisory Council for Student Safety and Wellbeing.
While implementation has varied by school and district, the students agreed that the new law—which took effect at the start of the year—has yielded real benefits. They socialize more with their classmates, interact better with their teachers, and even find that they are more productive during class time.
“It feels like we are cared for,” said one recent graduate from New Hanover County Schools.
Some local policies are stricter than others: one Cumberland County school uses lockboxes while another in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County requires that phones remain face down on students’ desks. Unsurprisingly, stronger enforcement tends to do better at keeping phones out of hands and eyes on the teacher.
When the reasoning behind the ban is clearly communicated—in this case, to support learning and wellbeing—students said they are more willing to follow it.
Mitch Prinstein, co-director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development, explained to the council that the brain has not reached a stage of having full control of one’s cognitive impulses by middle or high school, making constant access to social media and the internet difficult to resist.
Prinstein shared a study showing that 45% of students report experiencing digital stress, which can disrupt basic human needs like sleep and physical movement.
While the cellphone ban has been met with broad support, questions about scope and enforcement remain. In Wake County, some school board members have asked for clarity on students using their phones to record instances of bullying or abuse.
WCPSS Superintendent Robert Taylor said that there is room for principals to use their discretion on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, filming fights can hinder intervention and make the problem worse, while in other cases, it could provide evidence of issues that need to be addressed.
Students on the panel suggested that peer-to-peer debates, project-based learning, and outdoor activities can combat any boredom students may feel in lieu of cellphone use.
The cellphone issue and the broader question of responsible technology use in schools are topics that require continued attention. As board members know, passing policies is often the first step. Monitoring their effectiveness, gathering staff feedback, and making improvements are key to ensuring such policies achieve their intended goals.