101 Reasons Why Mobile Phones Should Be Banned in Schools

Kids nowadays are addicted to their cell phones – it almost seems like they have difficulty breathing without them in their hands. And while parents can regulate screen time for younger children, this becomes more and more difficult as kids grow older. But one place where screen time can be better controlled is at school.

There are a number of reasons why mobile phones should be banned in schools, some more worthy of attention than others. They range from the negative effects on academic learning to physical and mental health effects, behavioral effects, and much more.

If you are wondering how cell phones affect students in school or why mobile phones should be banned in classrooms at least, you’ve landed on the right page. Scroll down and find 101 reasons schools should be cell phone-free!

Why Mobile Phones Should Be Banned in Schools – Statistics

The time students spend on their cell phones is increasing day by day. Which makes the “why mobile phones should be banned in schools” debate all the more necessary.

Following are some statistics that describe the intensity of the situation:

• 94% of students want to use cell phones in classrooms, for academic purposes and otherwise (Source: The Student Pulse Survey for Top Hat, conducted by Survata)
• 54% of students want to use smartphones to text friends during class (Source: The Student Pulse Survey)
• 52% of students want to browse social media in the classroom (Source: The Student Pulse Survey)
• 43% of teenagers text while they are driving, even though 97% of them agree that it is extremely dangerous (Source: Research on texting statistics). It is likely that students would text on their way to and back from school.
• 35% of students agree that they use their smartphones to cheat in tests and exams (Source)
• When asked about the negative effects of cell phones at school, inside classrooms in particular, this is how teachers responded:
  • Approximately 39% stated that students use their cell phones for inappropriate activities
  • Approximately 12% found an issue with the fact that not all students have cell phones, which puts some at an advantage over others.
  • Approximately 18% said that social media acts as a distraction for students
  • Approximately 9% said that it’s hard to keep an eye on what students are doing on their phones.
  • 10% said that students indulge in texting during class
  • Approximately 10% cited other reasons. (Source)

101 Reasons Why Mobile Phones Should Not Be Allowed in Classrooms/Schools

Sr. #	Reason	Explanation
Negative Effects on Academic Learning
1	Distraction for student him/herself	A cell phone has a hundred different applications that the students gets notifications from. These distract the student from his/her studies during class time.
2	Distraction for teacher	Teachers always notice students who are not concentrating in class. Students who are busy on their cell phones will cause a distraction for the teacher.
3	Wastage of class time	The teacher will waste precious time in getting the attention of students who are busy on their cell phones, which is unfair to other students.
4	Distraction for other students	Students with cell phones will distract other students as well, often with things on the phone. They will, thus, also miss important lecture content.
5	Lack of focus	Since the student’s mind will be on whatever is happening behind the screen, they will be unable to focus their attention on their academics.
6	Decline in grades	Because the student will have no interest in their studies, their short-term grades (for assignments and in-class tests) will suffer across all subjects.
7	Academic year wasted/affected	If the student fails to get serious before their final exams, their short-term and long-term grades won’t allow them to proceed to the next class.
8	Spillover effect – Homework	Someone who concentrates on their cell phone instead of the course content in class will struggle with their homework assignments on a regular basis.
9	Outsourcing assignments	Instead of trying to understand the concepts, students may prefer to get their assignments done by friends or other students, even for a fee.
10	In-class activities suffer	Interactive class sessions require equal participation from all the students present. Children with cell phones would disrupt these activities by not paying attention to their surroundings.
11	Extracurricular activities suffer	Extracurricular activities are a very important part of the school curriculum. Children will always find a way to skip them and stay on their phones.
12	Distraction due to notifications/alarms	Notifications can be very distracting in a quiet classroom. Whether through a ringtone or a vibration, classrooms with cell phones will be disruptive.
13	Distraction to get phones on silent	Teachers may have to interject every time a notification goes off. This will create further disruption in the classroom if multiple students have cell phones.
14	Non-smooth class flow	With teachers having to stop the lecture repeatedly to deal with these issues, their flow, and hence the understanding students gain, will be affected negatively.
15	Disruption for students	Other students present in the classroom who might be trying to concentrate initially may also lose their focus as a result of the commotion.
16	Affects on students with ADHD	Students with ADHD and other similar conditions have a hard time maintaining focus on routine days. Classes like these will be especially hard for them.
17	Cheating in informal class tests	Cell phones can make it very easy for students to cheat by texting each other questions and answers while giving a class test.
18	Cheating in formal exams	While cell phones are banned from exam halls, students can sneak them in, owing to their dependence on the devices, and indulge in cheating.
19	Cheating from the internet	Students can also use cell phones to look up answers from Google or other sources of information. This results in little to no actual learning.
20	Unfair advantage in exams	Students cheating by using cell phones have an unfair advantage over those students who are honest with their academics and actually work hard.
21	Unfair overall advantage	Students who have open access to cell phones during class discussions can bring up unique points from the internet and get rewarded over others who don’t.
22	Exam details leaked	Often, students of a certain class have tests at different times. Students with cell phones can immediately share details, such as the exam format, with others.
23	Pictures of exam questions leaked	Students can sneak cell phones into exam halls, take pictures of the exam questions, and share them with others who are yet to give the exam.
24	Unfair advantage in class discussions	Students with cell phones and an internet connection may be able to come up with better points during class discussions by searching for them online.
25	Lack of critical thinking	Because students will always rely on getting the answers from the internet, they will lose their critical thinking capability and their habit of working hard.
26	Lack creativity	A large part of schoolwork requires creative input. Students with cell phones can get ideas from the internet instead of putting their thinking gears into action.
27	Lack of accountability	Since students will copy work from the internet, there will be little disappointment if the quality of work is not up to the mark.
28	Plagiarism	Students who would much rather be on their phones will likely copy and paste directly from the web, leading to plagiarism issues for the teachers.
Behavioral Issues
29	Rude behavior	When asked to put their devices away and concentrate in class, students can likely become annoyed and respond to teachers in an unfitting manner.
30	Irritability	Constantly having distractions during their scrolling time can make students irritable, something that can become a habit in the short- and long-term.
31	Disrespect to teachers	A general way to give a teacher respect is to listen to them when they teach. Students busy with cell phones would not be attentive in class.
32	General disrespect	Kids, when immersed in their phones, pay attention to little else. Students with cell phones may ignore other students because they’re so occupied.
33	ADHD	Students who are constantly on their phones can show symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This can start affecting other aspects of their lives too.
34	Violent behavior	Constantly consuming games, movies, songs, and TV shows containing violence may cause students to start developing violent tendencies that they can act out too.
35	Anger	Observing angry characters and behavior online will make students think it is okay for them to behave in that manner as well.
Safety Concerns
36	Safety of student him/herself	The student may be putting themselves in harm’s way by revealing their location to those with malicious intent. This may cause trouble for the school too.
37	Privacy of other students	Kids often take pictures and record videos to post online. These will most likely go up without the consent of everyone in the video.
38	Sneak pictures and videos	Students may take pictures or record videos of other students without their knowledge – this is a breach of privacy and can lead to troubling consequences.
39	Safety of other students	Friends who are tagged in the photos, videos, and stories put up by other students may become the target of individuals with malicious intent.
40	Privacy of faculty members	Students may record videos of their teachers and put them up online without their consent. This is a breach of privacy and can lead to greater issues.
41	Safety of faculty members	Students with grudges against teachers can plan attacks on the teachers by sneaking violent friends into the school – cell phones facilitate this.
42	Facilitation for individuals with malicious intent (location)	Many social media platforms allow users to post content with a location. This can facilitate predators in finding easy targets.
43	Easy to call insiders to the school	Students can quite easily sneak unauthorized individuals into the school premises by constantly remaining in touch with them on their cell phones.
44	Bunking	Students can bunk school easily and meet up with friends from other schools or otherwise because they are consistently in touch with them.
45	Increased fights	Fights often break out in schools. Students who have cell phones can call in “reinforcements” if they get into a fight and the situation can escalate.
46	Increased bullying	Outsiders who have been called into the school can be older students who pick on younger students just for a laugh, creating an unstable environment.
47	Vandalism	People who break into schools with the help of students with cell phones may vandalize the property, which means an additional cost for the school.
48	Misuse of content	Things a student posts can be altered and misused in order to cause harm to the reputation of the individual and create problems for them.
Social Reasons
49	Decreased socialization	Screens will become the new friends of students and they will feel little need to create any meaningful bonds with those in their physical surroundings.
50	Students communicating through devices vs face to face	Students sitting across from each other may start communicating through devices, leading to a steady decline in face-to-face communication skills.
51	Online games vs physical activities	The trend of interacting with others in the playground and engaging in healthy, friendly competition through physical activities will be replaced by online games.
52	Students showing off to others	In a world dominated by capitalism, students may be found showing off their expensive devices to others with pride, leading to a toxic school culture.
53	Feelings of complex among other students	Not all students can afford expensive cell phones to bring to school. These students can develop feelings of inferiority when others around them have these devices.
54	Peer pressure	Even students who personally do not want cell phones can feel left out and give in to the pressure of all their friends having a cell phone.
55	Pressure on parents	Students may start demanding cell phones from their parents due to peer pressure. This will put unnecessary financial pressure on parents from lower-income families.
56	Unfair means to obtain a cell phone	Students whose parents cannot afford a cell phone may choose to steal one or “borrow” their parents’ phone to take to school and not feel left out.
57	Theft of cell phones	While schools have strict policies against theft, there is always the chance that expensive items such as cell phones will get stolen when left unattended.
58	Viewing of pornography in school	Questionable activities such as viewing pornography can become more common in schools if students have access to their cell phones and the internet.
59	Feelings on inadequacy	Students may witness a decrease in self-confidence and self-image when they are bombarded with images of seemingly perfect people and lives online on a regular basis.
60	Social pressures	With increased use of social media comes the pressure to live up to unnamed standards, some of which may be toxic to the students.
61	Social comparison	The trend of social comparison may trickle down into real life and students may slowly start judging themselves and others against unhealthy standards.
62	Neuroticism	Being addicted to cell phones can cause students to exhibit symptoms of neuroticism, including anger, emotional instability, and other dangerous symptoms.
63	Reassurance seeking	Reassurances that students once sought from friends at school are now sought on social media, sometimes from strangers. This can potentially be harmful.
64	Cyberbullying	Cell phones give troublemakers an additional platform which they can use to bully other students, in addition to a one on one setting.
65	Decreased interaction with parents	Because kids did nothing different at school than they do at home (scroll), they have little to share with their parents, resulting in little bonding.
66	Habit of anonymity	The fact that a virtual presence grants one anonymity gives kids the license to indulge in conversations and behaviors they would otherwise refrain from.
Physical Health Effects
67	Additional screen time	School takes up the larger part of a child’s day. If mobiles phones aren’t banned at school, kids will have extra time to be on their phones.
68	Chronic headaches	Because children are always on their phones and would not even get time off their screens in school, chronic headaches can become a norm.
69	Harm to neck and back muscles	Neck and back muscles face strain due to the posture people remain in while using their phones for prolonged periods of time.
70	Microwave radiations	The radio frequency microwave radiation emitted by cell phones is dangerous for the user and can even lead to cancer in the long run.
71	Eye strain	Children who don’t get a break from their phones even during school can develop eye health issues such as dry eye and irritation.
72	Blurred vision	Excessive mobile phone usage can cause blurred vision in children and throbbing headaches that are concentrated around the eyes – a troubling symptom at a young age.
73	Phantom pocket vibration syndrome	Children on their phones all the time are always looking forward to notifications and can experience phantom (imaginary) pocket vibrations.
74	Brain tumors	The radiation emitted by cell phones can cause brain tumors, a potentially deadly disease that can disrupt a child’s entire life in the long run.
75	Sleep deprivation	Excessive cell phone use leads to sleep deprivation as kids are fearful of being late to the party when any kind of news breaks.
76	Reduced fitness	When a child has a cell phone in their possession, they remain on the phone instead of taking part in physical activities to remain fit.
77	Obesity	With cell phones being used for the larger part of the day and lack of physical activity, the risk of obesity in children increases manifold.
78	Health risks resulting from obesity	Because of obesity linked to extensive cell phone use, children can eventually face other health challenges such as heart issues, diabetes, and stroke.
79	Hunched posture	With kids hunched over their phones all day, even during school time, their posture suffers terribly and can lead to more serious problems in the future.
80	Backaches	Because of their bad posture, kids may suffer from consistent backaches that may turn into a more serious concern as they get older.
81	Fatigue	Because of a lack of fitness, sleep deprivation, and other health problems discussed above, kids may experience chronic fatigue resulting from a bad lifestyle.
82	Effect on learning ability	Disturbed brain activity due to radio waves emitted by phones can have a negative effect on the way a kid learns and retains information.
Mental Health Effects
83	Depression	Too much exposure to cell phone has been linked to depression. Kids who aren’t even separated from their cell phone at school can be a victim too.
84	Anxiety	Kids may experience anxiety regarding the kind of phone they bring to school, what they use it for, and whether it will be accepted by peers.
85	Social pressures	The pressure to meet the expectations of society with everything kids post on social media can end up affecting their mental health severely.
86	Chronic stress	Cell phones contribute to raising the level of Cortisol, the stress hormone, in the bodies of kids, thus increasing stress levels from an early age.
87	Low IQ	Excessive cell phone use, especially to find answers online instead of determining them by oneself, can result in stunted mental growth in kids.
88	Impulsivity	The naturally impulsive behavior found in many kids may be supported by excessive cell phone usage that brings with it power and a certain status.
89	Fear of missing out	The fear of missing out on things they see on social media can cause students to take part in activities (willingly or unwillingly) they are not supposed to.
90	Suicidal inclinations	Consuming social media for excessive periods of time has been linked with suicidal thoughts due to a number of factors. Students are prone to this too.
91	OCD	Kids who are always on their phones can feel a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder where they are fearful of being away from technology.
Social Media and School-Related Content
92	Cyberbullying on social media	Bullying that is already prevalent in physical spaces may be carried over to online spaces and victims may have no safe space to exist in peacefully.
93	Making fun of teachers online	Students can post derogatory content related to teachers online, leading to greater problems in terms of overall societal ethics.
94	Tarnished reputation of school	The things students post about from school affects how people see it. This could be negative as students often hold negative views about school.
95	Posting pictures of confidential items	Confidential information about the school, teachers, and other students among other things can be posted online, leading to legal issues.
96	School wars	Constant social media use during school time and otherwise may trigger unnecessary debates online regarding which school and its students are better than the others.
97	Escalation of conflict	The debates mentioned above may turn into conflicts and even rivalries that can be detrimental to the sense of community in the long term.
98	Feelings of envy	When students from high-end schools post photos of their schools and activities, feelings of envy may develop among those from the surrounding lower-income neighborhoods.
99	High switching rate	Students from one school may become attracted to activities in other schools and want to make the shift, resulting in disruption in the school year.
100	Break-ins	Intriguing content that is posted online about a particular school may encourage individuals to explore that school, leading to unauthorized break-ins and potential damage.
101	Copyright infringement	Students may post photos of copyright-protected things online. These photos can then be reshared or used illegally, resulting in copyright infringement issues for the school.

 

The Final Verdict – Problems with Cell Phones in School

There are two sides to every story. And there is no denying that cell phones have a lot of benefits that students can enjoy, even at school. A lot of learning material used by teachers nowadays is available online and having cell phones makes it easier for students to access. In addition, parents also feel a great sense of peace and security knowing that they can reach their child easily in case of an emergency.

And that’s not all, a cell phone can help a student out of a tough spot by notifying their parents or the authorities in a timely manner. This list can go on.

However, our verdict is this: the reasons why cell phones are bad in school outweigh the benefits that can come from their use in an academic environment. Why? Because more often than not, students will use them to indulge in activities that are not academic by any stretch of the imagination.  And that is not to mention the other harmful effects that have been discussed in detail above.

So, can the school learning environment do without smartphones?

We definitely think that it can and it should.