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K-12 students’ access to smartphones during the school day interferes with their learning, mental health and overall well-being, UM-Dearborn Associate Professor of Communication Margaret Murray’s research shows. While the Michigan Legislature recently moved to enact a smartphone ban in schools, Murray says the legislation does not go nearly far enough. Bell-to-bell bans, already enacted in 20 U.S. states, have been shown to improve grades, along with attendance and engagement.
Murray is a Michigan public school graduate and parent who has written or spoken about the effects of school smartphone use and advocated for a bell-to-bell ban in Bridge Michigan, The Conversation and on Michigan Public’s Stateside.
What are the dangers of K-12 students having access to smartphones during the school day?
First, they threaten a child’s ability to learn. They are distracting and addictive. One study found that the closer a smartphone was to a college student, the worse they scored on tests of working memory and fluid intelligence. When smartphones get banned in K-12 classrooms, GPAs and test scores go up.
Second, they can make bullying much more extreme. It’s bad enough if a kid is taunted — now, imagine having that recorded and shared on the internet. One of the reasons youth suicide has risen dramatically is that bullying can follow them everywhere. They feel like they can’t escape or even get a break.
And finally, smartphones crowd out the normal face-to-face interactions that should be happening at school. Even if a kid is just watching cat videos, that is time they should be making friends, playing games, studying, etc. Learning to interact with your peers as a kid is special and you can’t make that up later as an adult.
You have argued that a bill recently passed by the Michigan House of Representatives does not go far enough in curbing school smartphone use. What do you see as the bill’s limitations?
Michigan kids deserve the best: a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in our K-12 schools. Representative Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) sponsored the bill and has said that bell-to-bell bans are the “gold-standard.” Sadly, it looks like he had to compromise to get a bill the Senate would pass. Now the bill is so weak it won’t move the needle at all. Many schools already have restrictions in place that are stricter than what the bill mandates.
Michigan is falling behind, and 20 other states are leading on this issue. For example, New York and Loiusanna already have bell-to-bell bans for all their students.
What kind of results have been documented in states that have enacted bell-to-bell smartphone bans?
There is new evidence coming out of Florida, and it echoes what we’ve seen in other states and even other countries. When these bans go into effect, there is an uptick in disciplinary issues as children adjust to the new rules. However, once kids get past the adjustment period disciplinary issues actually go down. Grades go up. Students are happier and more engaged. In New York, a principal reported that kids were thanking her for the ban.
What guidance do you have for parents who believe their children need a cellphone accessible at all times for safety reasons?
One thing I appreciate about the bill is that it only applies to smartphones. That’s an excellent compromise, because parents can stay connected via a flip phone or “dumb phone” if they like. Simple phones are making a comeback because they enable communication without all the danger and distractions of smartphones. In fact, I just got my own kids a landline!
