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Schools Are Giving Up on Smartphone Bans (gizmodo.com)
Bans on phones in schools are increasingly becoming a thing of the past, new research shows. From a report: A survey from the National Center for Education Statistics exploring crime and safety at schools indicates that there is a trend toward relaxing student smartphone bans. The survey reports that the percentage of public schools that banned cell phones and other devices that can send text messages dropped from nearly 91 percent in 2009 through 2010 to nearly 66 percent in 2015 through 2016.
This drop did not coincide, however, with more lenient rules around social media. In 2009 and 2010, about 93 percent of public schools limited student access to social networking sites from school computers, compared to 89 percent from 2015 through 2016. That's likely because these bans aren't lifted in response to student demands to use their electronics during school hours -- they are bending to the pressure of parents who want to be able to reach their kids.
This drop did not coincide, however, with more lenient rules around social media. In 2009 and 2010, about 93 percent of public schools limited student access to social networking sites from school computers, compared to 89 percent from 2015 through 2016. That's likely because these bans aren't lifted in response to student demands to use their electronics during school hours -- they are bending to the pressure of parents who want to be able to reach their kids.
I think sending texts during class on a basic cellphone is less distracting than a smartphone tied into dozens of apps and games. If you've ever tried to have a conversation with a child while they were playing an addictive mobile game, you'd know how little of what you say to them that they retain.
If kids are playing mobile games during class, it is effectively the same as not showing up to class at all.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
We got to actually grow up and enjoy things as a kid, and to learn more quickly (I think) about independence and self sufficiency.
And at the very least....we weren't tracked everywhere, and could get into a bit more mischief and the world didn't end for any of us.
I've recently visiting with friends I've known since I was about 11yrs old, and we were talking old times, our exploits (we still remember some), and decided that some of the shit we pulled back in the day, would have put us on a terrorist watch list today?!?!
Hell, the way our parents let us alone in the neighborhood to run around "unsupervised" would today likely have had us taken by social services and put into freakin' foster care.
I don't get it, but man, I'm sure glad I grew up when I did. I was nice to NOT be in touch, to have an excuse to NOT be reachable by parents, etc.
And most of all....no one generally had a damned camera around to get pictures of you, and publish them where you might not only get into trouble right then....but also to maybe haunt you later in life.
I'm glad I've grown up to see the rise of the internet and lots of tech, but man...I feel for the kids today as that they have lost something....
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
I can't imagine the absolute fucking distraction in class that goes on with either SMS, social media, watching kids make a goofy damn face 'snapchatting', etc. As much as I want to dismiss it as back in the day when I'd doodle or sketch nonsense in a notebook while a teacher was droning on, passing notes, counting ceiling tiles or what-the-hell-ever all of us non-millennials did as being just as non-productive, it's a complete different type of blatant disrespect and lack of dedication without being able to 'disconnect' and focus on something other than _you_.
Think public/private school issues are bad, anymore, I wish workplaces would eliminate phone usage from the damn work force, except for under extreme circumstances, where you actually need to use it. I can't even get away from it in meetings or presentations I do at work anymore; there is guaranteed at least one mega-douche with his face buried in his phone not even paying attention (but in a title and position to absolutely the fuck pay attention), then is always the person who has to have things repeated, or burning up questions that were already covered, or whatever waste presented on, the opposite (or nothing) gets done.
Just like most teachers already get paid shit, assuming they are par to upper quality educators and care, it's flat out an extreme waste of their time, expertise, educational background and breath when you can't even get someone to put down a device for 1/16th of their entire day they are awake for that one hour class to be dedicated and open to being taught and educated. We all know, the 15 other slivers of time are 'on that thing' anyway.
And for those of us who were bullied, the bullying typically ended once you left school. When I was in high school and walked in my front door, the bullies couldn't reach me anymore. Nowadays, bullies can still harass people no matter where they are. We had to complain one day when a kid in my son's high school band class took out a cell phone and began taking photos of my son without his - or our - permission. The kid was making fun of my child as he did this so who knows where those photos ended up. Kids today have some really cool new tech to play with that we didn't have growing up, but there's a dark side to all of it as well.
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.