With the start of the new school year, there have been many changes that have been made to schools all over Florida. One of the most talked about new policies is the new cell phones in school policy. This policy states that there is no usage of cell phones from the start of the school day to the end of the day, with the exception of lunch in certain schools. This policy has affected many aspects of school life for both the teachers and the students. This article will be taking a look into how teachers and students have been affected by the implementation of the cell phone policy and their opinions on the new rule.
With cell phones being a huge part of people’s everyday lives, there is no surprise that it is used in school as well. As a result, the new regulations over cell phones in the school environment, students have realized many aspects of completing school work has changed. For example, with the ban, many students that have, in previous years, depended on cell phones for completing tasks and assignments, will have trouble producing the same quality they have been as in previous years.
“I believe the new cell phone ban has lowered the quality of my work in certain areas,” said sophomore Fox Waterman. “For example, when I am required to film and edit something, when doing it on my phone it produces higher quality in both editing and camera quality.”
Although the new regulation on cell phones may have some negative effects on school life for students, they also have some positive effects. “The cellphone ban has been a positive change in my school life because my phone in some situations would end up being a distraction more than a help,” stated junior Santiago Garcia. This highlights that the cell phone ban in schools has helped eliminate a huge distraction that many students have faced in prior years. With the elimination of this distraction, students will be more focused on what is being taught in class rather than what is happening on their phone, resulting in better understanding of the topic being taught.
“I believe the cell phone ban is both a good and bad change in the school system. Cell phones have been a major distraction in schools for the past couple of years, as they have been used for cheating and for other reasons. Although I do believe that the ban is a good change, I also understand that the new ban can change how students and teachers have functioned till now and how that can affect the class overall,” stated junior Brooke Clark.
Along with school life changing for students, they have also changed for teachers as well. “Students are more willing to give their phone at the door, which makes them less argumentative, and they are less distracted during class time,” said Math teacher Alexandra Dieterle. Overall, the new cell phone regulation has been a very controversial new change. The topic has many varying opinions based on each individuals’ different experiences. Only time will tell whether this was a step in the right direction for the advancement of our school, or a choice that we will be regretting in the future.
