Cellphones for kids: Let parents and teachers decide

Should kids have access to smartphones in school? Some argue the smartphone problem leads to distraction. Others say smartphones are necessary for reasons related to safety or other concerns.

In reality, it is a more complicated question than it appears. Yet, oftentimes, when complicated questions arise, broad state-level policies that take the choice away from parents and educators lack the flexibility needed for a more nuanced solution.

As a former elementary and middle school teacher, I certainly empathize with educators, policymakers and parents who may be concerned today’s kids are more distracted by their smartphones in negative ways. Some teachers have instead positively capitalized on young people’s desire to keep and use their smartphones.

Norms around any form of technology may vary from classroom to classroom or school to school. However, the "if you can’t beat them, join them" strategy for smartphone usage in school can be productive.

For example, teachers have used smartphones straightforwardly, such as for educational apps or conducting classroom polls or quizzes. Some teachers have supported students’ unique needs — such as allowing them to stream music to stay focused — but still restricted unauthorized use through classroom management. Others have helped students use their smartphones to gain organizational skills that may extend past the classroom, such as using calendars or keeping records of grades and assignments.

Outside of classroom use, there may be many legitimate reasons that a parent wants their child to have a smartphone at school. According to a survey from the National Parents Union, the most-cited reason a parent wants their child to have a smartphone in the classroom is to be able to contact the parent in an emergency.

During the tragic Uvalde school shooting, a 10-year-old with a cellphone called 911 and kept law enforcement informed of the situation. Similarly, cellphones were a lifeline and further documented the harrowing reality of the Parkland High School shooting.

Other safety reasons may be more individualized, such as needing children with medical diagnoses to contact a parent. Sometimes, a parent and child need a means of communication when escaping an abusive partner. In some communities, violence outside of school and unjustified bias against immigrants have made parents feel safer knowing they can always contact their children.

Of course, safety is not the only reason a parent may feel more comfortable with their child having access to their smartphone during the school day. Parents in the National Parents Union survey also frequently cited the logistics of transportation or appointments and a desire for a child to be able to communicate about their mental health or other needs.

In some households, particularly those with low socioeconomic status, smartphones are the primary internet connectivity method. This means that a child needs access to a smartphone to complete the required assignments. or that using a smartphone will help them keep up with their peers who might have access to more technology.

As with many cases regarding kids and technology, the answer is not one size fits all. Schools and parents should teach good digital citizenship skills, including the appropriate use of smartphones. State-level bans may not consider the nuanced reasons parents, students and teachers want smartphones and may make exceptions more difficult.

Such decisions are better made at a local level. The school, district, or classroom’s decisions should involve educators, parents and students to find the ideal balance and make exceptions when appropriate. Instead of a state-level ban, school choice programs available in over 33 states can allow parents to select the proper educational environment for their child, including whether smartphones should be in or out of the classroom.

Families will have a wide array of preferences when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom. Sometimes, a smartphone-free environment might appeal to parents. Still, others may want a school that embraces all the technology their child will likely encounter. It should not be presumed that parents or teachers who support students’ smartphone use are merely enablers of smartphone addiction. Instead, technology usage — like many other aspects — should be one factor in the choices around their child’s education.

This guest essay reflects the views of Jennifer Huddleston, a technology policy research fellow at the Cato Institute and adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.