As the school year kicks off, the new phone ban policy is a significant change. Smartwatches are prohibited, phones are kept in bags, and airpods are seen nowhere in sight.
With the recent signing of House Bill 1481, which requires all public and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas to adopt a policy prohibiting the use of cellphones by students during school hours, the classroom environment is severely impacted.
“Apparently a lot of classes don’t have clocks and you don’t really notice that until the clock that you keep with you is always out of reach,” junior Eleanor Rainey said.
While adjusting to the ban, students have faced challenges, especially when the school is still structured around the use of phones. Communication, digital forms, and tracking time have been the main actions affected by the ban.
“In good ways I’d say it can improve certain people socially,” senior Kaci Pruitt said.
Despite the struggles, students have found ways to adapt to the new system, and they are reporting some benefits. The main positive is that students are starting to live in the moment. During lunch, they now get together to play various games such as cards, UNO, and puzzles. In regards to filling out forms, now that QR codes aren’t effective, everyone has become close friends with the Bitly platform.
“I think in a sense of academics it’ll be good in the long run for grades,” senior Piper Bales said.
One of Rowlett’s main goals is to raise our rating from a B to an A. With the phone ban, students are more aware during class and have started developing better study habits. Still, there is one glaring issue that has not found a solution. That is communication.
“Over this past year, we’ve had a lot of school shootings and stuff, and sometimes that phone call could be the last time you [hear] that person,” junior Peace Shobande said. “We could have drills or emergency situations where a phone would be very necessary.”
When asked what they are most concerned about regarding the phone ban, the majority of students respond with concerns about communication. In our fast-paced digital world, we are accustomed to instant messaging with friends and family, which can cause some difficulties during the day. Some instances include trying to find a friend in a crowd, notifying a parent of a schedule change, and, most alarmingly, contacting people during an emergency.
“I can’t text my mom when I’m panicking in school and I can’t get help for my migraines as easily,” Bales said.
Students sometimes worry about what to do during these situations. Several recounts have mentioned notifying their parents, or in dire situations, notifying authorities. Even in situations like our “fire drills,” students wish to have their phones to assure their parents that nothing happened. In the end, the phone ban has produced many changes, both good and bad. Regardless of stance, it is undeniable that it makes this school year one to remember.
“It’s kind of goofy,” Pruitt said. “We are being treated like it’s a crime to use something we paid for.”
