For a long time, I’ve wondered why cell phones are banned in schools. I realize that kids can be mischievous, but you can get them some devices integrated with parental control software. These devices will help your kid stay in touch for security reasons while also keeping them away from inappropriate content. However, the number of people who ask, “Why cell phones should be allowed in school?” still amazes me.
These parents don’t realize how dependent learning and communication skills have become on smart devices. Many studies show how children with access to online resources can get ahead in their studies and their social lives. However, that still doesn’t mean you should leave your kid unattended on their mobile devices. Just create a monitoring system that allows your kid to benefit from their mobile devices while remaining safe.
Why cell phones should be allowed in school?
Cell phones can be an addictive distraction for your kid. However, if you manage their screen time and don’t allow them to use social media, your child can learn a lot from their phones. So, let’s cover a few reasons why cell phones should be allowed in school.
Safety concerns
The first reason why cell phones should be allowed in school is your child’s safety. Even if you live in a posh neighborhood, you need to keep in touch with your kid with a mobile phone. In case of emergencies, your kid can call you or call the local authorities.
Back in 2023, there were close to 350 school shooting incidents in the US (according to the U.S. News & World Report). That is almost one incident per day of the year. So, it is incredibly irresponsible for parents to drop their kids at school without any means of communication.
Improved discipline
Keeping track of homework and projects can be difficult on your own. If your kid has a phone, they can track everything with a calendar app or a reminder app. These apps will help your kid better manage their school responsibilities. However, your kid will become more punctual by using the phone alarm to wake up for the school bus. Moreover, this discipline will also give your kid more time to be free for fun activities.
Quick research with the internet
The best reason why cell phones should be allowed in school is the abundance of research material and online resources. Even if your kid is studying in a top-tier school, its library can only hold so much content. However, when your kid has a cellphone, they can access millions of research papers online. These research papers and study material will boost your kid’s performance in school tremendously.
Collaboration with friends
Giving your kids cell phones allows them to participate in learning games and quizzes created by their teachers. Children are often hesitant to participate in class, but they are less hesitant to play learning games on their mobile phones. These games allow kids to be more interested in learning. Moreover, teachers can add their kids to Google Classrooms to organize quizzes, assignments, and more.
Digital literacy
Your kid will need a phone sooner or later. If you allow your kid to have a phone when they are in school, they’ll learn how to manage their time on this device. The teachers can educate your kids about online dangers and how they can best manage their phones. This atmosphere will be much better for the kid to learn appropriate behavior online. They will be less curious about inappropriate content and more aware of online predators and groomers.
Cost-effective resources
If your kid has access to their mobile phone in class, they will be less likely to spend money on physical books or research. Digital documents are often free, and you will save thousands of dollars this way. Moreover, the resources online are always updated, while the books you buy for your kids will be a few years old. So, your kid will benefit from the latest studies while also saving you money.
Personalized content
Not every kid can learn the same way in a classroom. Moreover, kids are anxious to hold up the whole class to clear up their confusion. With a phone, your kid can quickly search for any confusing term online or browse relevant material to catch up with the class. They will be able to access any additional content they need to understand the topic at hand without bothering the teacher or other students.
Improved monitoring
If your kid has a habit of flunking their classes, you can keep an eye on them with their phones. Just use any location tracking app to track their mobile devices. That way, when they decide to skip school, you can immediately intervene and correct their behavior. If you are using the right parental control app, giving your kid a mobile phone will help you greatly.
Better communication with teachers
When mobile phones are not banned in schools, teachers are more connected with their students. This increased communication among teachers and students allows for more learning opportunities. Your child will be able to contact his teacher at any time about confusing assignments or quizzes.
These are just some of the reasons why cell phones should be allowed in school. There is a good chance that your kid will fall behind if you don’t let them take their phones to school. Moreover, you will not be able to contact or track your child when they leave the house. So, consider letting your kid take their phones to class.
Why cell phones should be banned in school?
Now that we’ve talked in detail about why cell phones should be allowed in school let’s look at the other side of this issue. Close to 77 percent of U.S. schools banned cell phones for nonacademic purposes in 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Several studies showed how banning cell phones in schools helped kids improve focus in the classroom. Even though these studies didn’t deny the benefits of taking cell phones to class, they underscored how cell phones can promote bullying and inappropriate behavior in class.
Social media addiction
The first issue with bringing cell phones to classrooms is that your kid will get addicted to social media. Instead of interacting with other kids, your child will be on his phone messaging random strangers online. It becomes an escape route for your child. Instead of developing any social skills, your child will prefer online friends and groups.
Promotes cyber bullying
It is not rare for kids to be ruthless on social media. They don’t consider the mental state of any person except themselves. If your kid is allowed to take their device to school, he will be more approachable to bullies. These bullies will target your kid’s insecurities and make him less confident in himself.
Your kid might start cheating
Usually, kids who take their phones to classrooms will stop focusing on the course content and browse through their phones all day. This lack of focus will encourage them to cheat with the help of content on their devices. As time goes on, your child will rely more and more on their device to pass quizzes and exams without learning anything.
Grade issues
A mobile phone can be a major distraction for any child. If your kid is allowed to use his phone when in class, he might not have the self-control to browse through academic content only. Instead, he will open up apps like YouTube or Twitch to watch videos from their favorite creators. So, you’ll also notice a drop in their grades when they take their mobile phones to class.
Inappropriate content sharing
Lastly, kids are pretty curious about inappropriate content. It is not that rare for teenagers to explore mature content. If you want to keep your child safe, you shouldn’t let them take their devices to class. Otherwise, their friends might share inappropriate content with them during school hours. This situation will make your kid more interested in adult content, and you won’t be able to put a stop to it.
All in all, letting your kid take their phone to class is full of risks as well. It all comes down to how you protect your child when they are on their devices. If you’re using proper parental control tools to monitor your kid, then you can reduce the majority of these risks. So, consider all the ways you can track your child’s device and monitor their online activities to keep them safe at school.
How to protect your kids in school?
We can sit and talk all day about whether or not you should let your kid take their phones to the classroom. However, the truth is that you will have to eventually allow your child to take their devices to class. Even if you forbid your kid from taking their phones to class in middle school, they’ll need their devices when they are promoted to high school. So, it is better to focus on how to address the underlying issues beforehand instead of banning mobile devices in classes.
Teaching your kid to cooperate with a parental control app will keep them safe in school. You can use options like FlashGet Kids to monitor and restrict your child’s phone activity. Not only will this app monitor your kid’s behavior, but you can also use advanced parental tools like an app blocker within FlashGet Kids to direct your kid. So, consider integrating parental control apps to keep your kid safe.
With FlashGet Kids, you’ll realize some of these benefits.
- App time limits within FlashGet Kids won’t let your kid use social media or any other harmful app beyond the dictated time limit.
- Screen time limits won’t let your kid use their mobile phone for more than a certain period each day.
- Web filter won’t let your kid browse through mature content online.
- Screen mirroring features will help you keep an eye on your kid at all times.
- Geofencing and location tracking features will help you keep track of your kid’s whereabouts.
- Notification tracker and alerts system will help protect your child from predators and cyberbullies.
FlashGet Kids is a complete parental control package at just $8.99 a month.
You will be able to monitor and control your child’s activities completely and direct them in the right direction. So, consider using this app and let your kid take their phone to class. It will be much easier for you in the long run to keep your child safe and away from online dangers. If interested, you can follow these steps to configure FlashGet Kids.
Download FlashGet Kids from the Play Store on your device.
Create your account after launching this app (you’ll get a 3-day free trial on account creation).
Install FlashGet Kids (Kid’s version) on your child’s device.
Bind the kid’s device with your FlashGet Kids app.
Configure the parental controls.
Once your kid gets older, you can lift some of the parental control restrictions. This method will allow your kid to slowly get used to the online space and not get overwhelmed. Hopefully, you’ll be able to educate your child easily with FlashGet Kids while giving them an improved sense of independence.
