Cellphones & Social Media

Cell phones have been quite a hot topic this year as more and more schools are starting to implement cell phone bans. It is important to note that there is no unified definition of a cell phone ban. It varies from state to state, county to county, and, in some cases, from school to school. These policies may range from not allowing cell phones in schools to requiring them to remain in lockers.

In essence, the purpose of the bans is to do a simple task: reduce distractions. Eliminate the phone, and students will then focus on class rather than whatever they may be searching for in class. This makes sense at first. Cell phones are a distraction that can lead to decreased academic performance, and high levels of distraction contribute to the ever-growing mental health crisis that we are seeing in our youngest generation. But ask yourself, is this a solution or a band-aid?

Impact of Cellphone Bans

There is no doubt about the impact of cell phones on academic performance in schools. With the world, quite literally, at a teenager’s fingertips, how is a teacher supposed to compete when they have to worry about 30 other kids in the room? How are they even supposed to stand a chance of enforcing a no-cellphone policy? The constant allure of social media, games, and instant messaging can easily distract students from their studies, leading to decreased attention and lower academic achievement.

Teachers face an uphill battle in enforcing a no-cellphone policy. One of the things that we have learned in our 40 years of running a school is that without a parent partnership, any venture is for naught. Schools see the children for 8 hours a day, and while it is a large part of the day, families have the other 16 hours, weekends, breaks, and vacations. If similar policies are not upheld at home and within their family unit, the school policies will stay the same behaviors they attempt to address.

Impact of Social Media

Unsurprisingly, social media has yet to benefit the young adult brain. Social media usage for young children has led to a spike in anxiety levels in this generation. So much so that the Surgeon General had to issue a report about social media and its connection to youth mental health. Like many things in life, it’s all about moderation. Unfortunately, children still need to learn what the word ‘moderation’ truly means. It is something that parents and schools must work together to teach to the children, one that I feel we do quite well here at Nysmith.

Why Is Nysmith So Different?

When I think of topics like social media, cell phone usage, and AI, I return to the word ‘moderation.’ Undoubtedly, our school and our education programs use technology quite heavily. In the modern world, we all use technology extensively, even for mundane tasks. But we teach our students how to use technology appropriately and responsibly.

If you walk through our hallways and classrooms, you will notice that you don’t see cell phones out during class. Students have them, yet they don’t use them. That ‘constant allure’ of social media and games doesn’t overcome the students’ curiosity about their teacher’s lesson. I mention this frequently to teachers and families alike, but I will yell it from the mountaintop as long as possible: our teachers make a difference. If you are unsure if teachers can make that much of a difference, check out our Youtube channel or our other social media platforms. You will see our “From The Classroom” series, where we record just a few of the countless activities on any given day. A cell phone needs to compete against these types of activities. If we issue a cell phone ban, we won’t teach students how to use them responsibly. Instead, they would just start using them immediately after leaving the building. We don’t believe in band-aiding the issue but rather in teaching proper usage and finding a more permanent solution.

While walking around, you will also notice that we stay true to our 1:9 ratio. It makes an immeasurable difference in the classroom. We never go over 18 students in a classroom, and we always have two teachers in that room. This allows the two teachers to truly get to know your child and provide the support to help them and sometimes to coach them. In a class that small, there is no hiding a cell phone nor a way to hide in the corner to be on their phone, disengaged.

You may have heard me say this a couple of times at Ken’s Coffee or while walking the halls with me during a tour of Nysmith: it’s essential that your family and Nysmith have a partnership. Similar to what I have said before, Nysmith only has your children for a few hours of the day, and any meaningful change needs to be implemented across the children’s environments. We can do amazing things and change children’s lives, but only if we have support from home. This is not something that you will see at other schools.