In January 2025, South Carolina’s school cellphone policy is set to go into effect. The new policy suggests that for schools to receive state funds, students are prohibited from access to personal electronic communication.
This would result in schools all across South Carolina banning cell phones. Students at Westwood High School have been discussing this policy and how it will affect them.
According to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that “77% of US schools prohibit cell phones for non-academic use.”
Some students at Westwood find cell phones beneficial. For example, Lauren McGraw says:
“I feel comforted knowing my mom is just a call away. I often use my phone to take pictures of notes and record practice videos.”
She continues, “If the lesson is taught correctly, students will pay attention. If they aren’t learning, something’s wrong.”
Lauren believes her understanding of lessons won’t change much without her phone. Teachers at Westwood, however, see cell phones as a disruption.
Avid teacher Mrs. Glover notes: “They cause disruptions and make it harder to get students’ attention. Students often do other things, then claim they weren’t taught, or it takes them longer to complete work because they’re multitasking.”
Additionally, she states, “I haven’t seen any benefit to phones. They’ve helped a few students who needed to keep up with fast-paced lessons by taking pictures of notes, but such instances are rare. Students could always get notes from classmates.”
Westwood student, Brianna Carpenter, thinks cell phone impact varies by usage: “I don’t think phones are problematic unless they’re distracting. Constant phone notifications can affect my learning environment.”
According to Jeremy Jorgensen, “Cell phones can lead to negative effects like social isolation, which increases cortisol levels and hinders cognitive development. Academic dishonesty is another concern, as phones can lead to increased cheating.”
While some students feel cell phones don’t hurt their academic performance, teachers and the district agree that phones have no benefits in class and can harm mental and physical health.
