Classroom Technology

How to Manage Cellphones in Schools: 6 Tips From Teens (Download)

By Arianna Prothero & Kevin Bushweller — July 24, 2024 1 min read
Sets of hands holding phones. Scrolling smartphones, apps mail, applications, photos. cellphone camera.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A rising number of school districts and states are putting in place more restrictive policies to curb the use of cellphones in schools. The policy trend is a direct response to concerns that the devices are hurting students’ abilities to concentrate in school and build meaningful relationships with peers and adults in their lives.

But in many cases, policies are being put in place before the people most affected by such measures—the students themselves—are asked what they think would work best.

To give educators a teenage perspective about the benefits and drawbacks of cellphones in schools, Education Week published interviews with three teenagers:

Young man and woman without energy on giant phone screen with speech and heart icons above them. Addiction. Contemporary art collage. Concept of social media, influence, online communication
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
Photo collage of hands holding phones with communication symbols superimposed. Learning phone etiquette.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Young girl looking on mobile phone screen with multicolored social media icons. Finding community, belonging. Contemporary art collage. Concept of social media, influence, online communication and connection.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock

Those stories were used to create this downloadable resource with six tips from teens on how to manage cellphones in schools.

Download the Guide (PDF)

Cellphones in Schools

Explore our coverage around students’ use of cellphones in schools:
> Guide to setting a policy: Here’s a decisionmaking tool for educators to map out the different potential outcomes when putting cellphone policies in play.
> Cellphone bans and restrictions: See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools in our tracker. Explore our tracker.
> Nuisance or teaching tool? How teachers are turning an ubiquitous and growing class nuisance—the smartphone—into a tool for learning.
> Cellphone policies, explained: Education Week breaks down the different ways schools are addressing cellphone use, and the factors to weigh before adopting or changing the rules. Check out our explainer.
> Tips from teens & teachers: Teenagers offer 6 tips on how schools should manage students’ cellphone use, and educators share their tips on policing cellphone use in classrooms.
> Then & now: How the “sexting” panic previewed today’s debate about kids’ cellphone use.

Complete coverage on cellphones in schools >

Related Tags:

Vanessa Solis, Associate Design Director contributed to this article.
A version of this article appeared in the August 14, 2024 edition of Education Week as How to Manage Cellphones in Schools: 6 Tips From Teens

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Classroom Technology Instagram Wants Teachers to Report Cyberbullying. But How Much Will That Help?
The social media platform created a program designed to help educators report instances of potential cyberbullying.
2 min read
Conceptual image of cyberbullying.
iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Q&A The Steps Schools Should Take So All Students Can Use Ed Tech
An expert outlines what schools need to do to ensure that ed tech is accessible for students with special needs.
4 min read
Image of a laptop with icons for accessibility: translation, sound, magnification, etc.
Collage via iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology How Playing Minecraft Can Help Students Learn Coding Skills
Washington and other states have partnered with Minecraft Education to teach coding and other computer science skills.
3 min read
Photo illustration of a blue screen full of code with the icon of a gaming control overlaying the code.
DigitalVision Vectors
Classroom Technology Here's How Many Elementary Students Have Their Own Cellphones and Tablets
The use of cellphones and tablets by young children in school raises concerns about too much screen time.
5 min read
A duotone photograph of a group of elementary students sitting together and looking at their cellphones
Canva