Should Phones Be Banned from Schools?

The growing number of U.S. policymakers working on social media bans raises thought-provoking questions: Should phones be banned from schools? Is a one-size-fits-all approach best for the community at large? Do phones hinder learning, or can they be used to foster the development of 21st-century skills? How can students’ media literacy skills grow without being empowered to use their technology in school?

Clearly, we must continue to look at social media’s impact on all of us. Headlines such as Get Phones Out of Schools Now in the Atlantic on June 6, 2023, catch our attention and drum up strong opinions. But first, let’s take a step back and remember our key questions for analyzing media: How might different people understand this message differently? How do my emotions influence my interpretation of this? How do I know I can trust this source to give me credible information about this topic? What is left out that might be important to know?

These are just a few questions that prompted NAMLE to reach out to some of our members, who are students, psychologists, and teachers, to write a response to the article. Click on a response below to learn different perspectives and approaches to education.