The state of Kentucky has implemented Senate Bill 208, a technology ban in schools. Some students already feel that this law is extreme in its ruling, as it feels like their possessions are being taken from them. To uncover how students feel about this situation we spoke to people around STEAM, asking questions whether it will really eliminate the distractions in schools, and if the ruling is too fast and too harsh on its students.
There isn’t one specific federal or national law in the United States that makes it illegal for students to use their phones during school hours. Instead, the rules about phone use in schools are typically determined at a local level.
Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
State Laws: Some states are starting to pass laws that either require or encourage school districts to have a policy on cell phone use. For example, states like Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have recently enacted legislation that bans or restricts the use of phones in K-12 schools. These laws often mandate that schools create and enforce policies to limit classroom distractions caused by phones.
School District Policies: Most of the time, the rules about phone use are set by individual school districts or even specific schools. A district-wide policy might state that phones must be turned off and put away during instructional time. These policies are often created by the school board and are part of the student handbook.
School Rules: Within a school district’s policy, individual schools and even teachers can have their own specific rules. A teacher might require students to place their phones in a “phone hotel” or “cell phone jail” at the beginning of class. The consequences for breaking these rules—like a phone being confiscated or a detention—are also determined by the school.
While there’s no single nationwide law, more and more states are passing legislation to address the issue, and most schools already have their own rules in place to manage phone use and reduce distractions in the classroom.
How are students feeling? We asked students from all over STEAM how they were feeling in the wake of this new law. One student we encountered in the halls who preferred to stay anonymous said, “Honestly, I’m kind of neutral about it cause like last year, I kind of was on my phone a lot, which I know is bad, but to be honest, I think it’s kind of a little too strict now.” Reflecting on their past experiences with phones in school many students do seem to understand why these new laws have been placed, although it comes back to the argument that they are too strict.
The laws, although understandable, may be too strict on some students. Another student at STEAM, Lailee Davis, responded to the same prompt, “I feel like the phone is made for a lot of useful reasons, just helping kids. I think it’ll bring a lot of grades up and we’ll definitely see a change in a lot more passing grades, I feel like it keeps us from being distracted, but there’s negatives to it too, because I know a lot of people use their phones for reasons. It’s good idea, but I don’t necessarily like that it’s a law – I feel like teachers could care more, and at the school-based level, I feel like they should be the ones handling it rather than having to enforce the law.” We heard more than once that instead of the government dealing with the phone laws, teachers should be in control of how the kids act in their class.
A lot of students have an understanding of why the bill was passed; however, they also mention that it’s harsh and perhaps an overreach. So the question in the end would be how long will it last before people start to find loopholes? Will the ban eliminate distractions for a long period or short period of time, and what are the effects going to be on the student in the classroom? This law is so fresh that these answers will come in due time, so all there is to wait and see how this will unfold.
Sources Available Upon Request