Last year, Lakeside High School implemented a ban on phones, and it got a lot of people talking. Some thought it would be the end of the world, while others were glad. Now that we have had the rule for a whole year, it is fair to ask: Does it make Lakeside any better?
Some teachers think the answer is yes. Ms. Evans, who teaches English, said, “If I tell the students to put their phones up, they put them away immediately. They do not want the admin to take their phone. So they do focus a little bit more in class.” She also said, “It’s easier to get students to pay attention now. 100 percent.”
But the rule is not perfect. Even a teacher here at Lakeside, Ms. Evans, thinks it should be more flexible. “When students are done with their work, if the teacher says it’s okay, they should be able to be on their phone if I say so, because it’s my house in this room,” she said. But she also said students don’t talk to each other more because of the phone ban. “I wish they would talk more, but no, they don’t.”
A lot of students have noticed changes, too. Caroline, a senior here at Lakeside, said, “Yes, it has helped me focus. I have been so locked in with all my schoolwork without the distraction of my phone.” She thinks the phone ban is pretty effective and even said she has made more friends. “I have actually made so many new friends now that I am not on my phone all the time.”
The ban has made some people find new things to do, too. Caroline said, “I do spend more time on my schoolwork, and I also have gone back into reading now that I am not on my phone, so it’s been great.” For her, the best part is being able to really talk to people and form a connection. “‘Cause you know, we are a family here. Lakeside is really starting to feel more like a family.”
It is not all good, though. Caroline said, “The worst part is that I can’t text my friends in other classes, but that just gives me more of an opportunity.” She also sometimes wishes she could use her phone during school. “Sometimes when I get bored, I want to use it, but I know that admin knows what is best for me, that I should not be on my phone, so I just do something else instead.”
So, has the phone ban made Lakeside better? It kind of depends on who you ask. Some people like it and some people do not. For sure, the rule has changed how school feels. There is more focus, but not always more talking. As we get used to it, one thing is clear: putting down our phones is changing the way we do things at school.
