California schools that ban cellphones make students want them more

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Re: “More California Schools are banning smartphones, but kids keep bringing them”

There’s been a growing push to ban or restrict cellphones on school campuses, but those policies can reinforce the very behavioral problems they’re meant to solve.

Blanket bans can invalidate students who already use phones responsibly and, for teens struggling with overuse, can exacerbate cravings by turning phones into forbidden novelties. As a result, screentime is only pushed back and concentrated outside class, when it’s beyond the school’s oversight.

It’s also unfair to assume that most teens are obsessively attached to their devices. Punishing all for the noncompliance of a few breeds resentment among those who follow rules and engage appropriately, ultimately creating a bigger issue.

Admittedly, phone distraction and disengagement do affect classrooms. However, targeted consequences are vastly more effective than whole restrictions. Schools should really only confiscate phones from students who repeatedly offend. This reinforces ideal behavior, discourages misuse and avoids unnecessary costs like the phone pouches.

CalMatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media.

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