Anya Watson / 2024-6-30
Phones have become an indispensable tool in teenage life. Their use for communication, entertainment, and work have made them so addictive that it is impossible to look away — even at school.
A study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health discovered that over a third of youth in Ontario high schools spend five hours or more on devices daily. To combat this drastic time on screens, as well as rising levels of youth mental health concerns stemming from social media, the Ontario Government recently announced new rules regarding phone usage in classrooms. This includes no phone use during school hours for elementary school students and no phone use during class time for secondary school students. The ban aims to help students better concentrate in class by removing items that distract from their learning.
For teenagers, being distracted in class is nothing new, but the size and capabilities of smartphones makes it easy for students to discreetly check their messages on Snapchat or play a round of Clash Royale. “There’s definitely a lot of distraction for sure [...] more than I’ve ever seen before,” explains a teacher at Nepean High School, “It’s nice to see that something’s being done.”
Device usage during school hours has skyrocketed since the pandemic. “Kids are in class and they’re scrolling [on their phones]., It’s feeding into their addiction,” says Emma Miron, a student in grade 11 at Nepean High School. As for what she and her friends think about the ban, “I think it’s pretty smart because [the Ontario Government] tried to do it once before with restricting cell phone usage [...] it didn’t really work.” Indeed, in 2019, a similar attempt was made by the province to limit access to technological devices. However, these regulations were paraded by many as being insubstantial and only a distraction from larger issues in the education system, with then Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser calling the ban “more hype than substance.” Many hope these new rules will not be a repeat of 2019.
On a school board level, there are efforts being done to limit excessive screen time among youth, particularly on social media. In March, the OCDSB announced they would be joining a lawsuit alongside several large school boards to take legal action against social media giants for their interference in students’ learning. The Ottawa Catholic District School Board has since joined the lawsuit.
For teachers, many are concerned about how students will adapt to this change and how much time will be spent regulating phones in classrooms. “It’s going to be a transition period for sure,” believes a teacher from Nepean High School. “Right now, it’s usually just ‘Put away your phone,’ and ‘Put away your phone,’ and ‘Put away your phone,’ there’s usually all those chances, but next year, apparently, it should be ‘Put away your phone and if not, you can’t have it.’”
Despite the many uses of smartphones, students are aware of the consequences devices may bring to their education. “I think many [students] know that it’s bad for you,” explains Emma. “School is supposed to be a place for learning.” While many are worried about how next year will look, students and teachers alike hope this decision will bring about positive change to schools across the province.