Helpful or Harmful: 

Should Cell Phones be Banned in Schools?

By Ava Nguyen

We live in a world where information is at our fingertips. With a single tap we can communicate, learn, and share, which can be good, or bad, depending on how we choose to use it. Students and educators have conflicting views on the topic of cell phone bans in public schools. In Oregon, a cell phone ban in schools was mandated by Governor Tina Kotek on July 2, 2025 and will be put into effect by at least October 31st of this year. One reason for this is that 97 percent of kids eleven to seventeen (in the US) spend an average of forty-three minutes a day on their phones during school hours. 

Prohibiting the use of cell phones during school has major benefits. It minimizes distractions, cyberbullying, and AI usage. It also helps create better social media habits. The kids that are spending a lot of time on their phones during school hours are spending most of that time on Tik Tok and YouTube, according to an article from Britannica. “Nothing is stronger than the pull of a peer wanting their attention or the number of likes they might have on their social media post.” states author AnneMoss Rogers. When faced with multitasking, a person’s functional IQ drops 10 points. “There’s also a second-hand smoke effect,” states professor Marty Makary. “More than half of students are distracted by the devices of other students.” The brain drain hypothesis states that even the presence of a phone leaves a person with a lowered analytic ability and less mental space for other tasks. Studies showed that students who were not using their phones recalled more detailed information, took more notes, and scored higher on assignments. 

On the other hand, cell phone bans also have some downsides. Students not having cell phones can prevent communication in an emergency. 63 percent of adults, ages thirty to forty, think that parents should be able to contact their children during school hours. Phones don’t just help students communicate, but they can also make learning fun. Apps like Duolingo and Khan Academy use gamified learning to engage students. “Educators have seen an explosion of powerful digital tools for learning, many of which are app-based. These tools allow students to remain engaged for longer periods of time,” says former principal Brandon Cardet-Hernandez. Shielding students from new technology and resources will make them less prepared for a tech filled future. CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, Richard Culatta states, “While meaningless digital activities have no place at school, a phone ban takes away the opportunity to teach that there are valuable and enriching activities that can be done on those same devices.”

In conclusion, cell phone bans in public schools have both positive and negative effects. Phone bans can protect students, promote good social media habits, and minimize AI usage. However, they can also promote panic, create less opportunities to learn, and prevent communication. Cell phone bans are widely debated by students and educators around the world, in fact, 25 percent of countries have banned phones in schools. It’s clear that cell phones can be both helpful and harmful to students and teachers, it all depends on how you use them.  

• The Editors of ProCon. (2025, September 20). Cell phones in schools | Pros, Cons, debate, education, Technology, distraction, & Emergency. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/procon/cell-phones-debate#ref417568  

• Skynesher. (2022, December 7). Close up of an unrecognizable student using a cell phone under the. . . iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/secretly-using-cell-phone-on-a-class-gm1447093656-484996362?searchscope=image%2Cfilm