On Sept. 11, Michigan lawmakers proposed a bill to the state’s Educational Committee to limit cellphone usage in schools. This piece of legislature is made to combat distractions young students are experiencing in the classroom.
House Bill 5921 of 2024 was first introduced by Michigan Representative Mark Tisdel, who made it his mission to minimize “great harm” students are experiencing long term with increased exposure to cellular devices and access to social media. The bill is not intended to ban these devices in Michigan public schools, but to restrict them during instructional time. However, according to the House Bill 5921 documents, the bill is not only restricted to just cellphones, but to any “wireless communications device,” that includes messaging capabilities, navigation, access to the internet or any sorts of entertainment. Indicating that only devices present in the classroom should be school provided, which have no issue in providing the same access to resources with little to less distractions.
If this piece of legislature were to pass it would require public school boards to set certain cellphone policies by grade: elementary students are prohibited from possessing these devices on school grounds. Middle schoolers are not allowed to have them during instructional time, breaks between classes, lunch nor during recess. And finally, high school students are prohibited from having access to them during instructional time.
It’s not surprising that Michigan lawmakers have only just now drafted a bill intended to produce a statewide policy on restricting cellphones in public school settings. Over 8 states, including California, Florida and Louisiana, have already passed and enacted statewide legislation that either banned or restricted cellphones on school grounds. Following these policies, other states like Oklahoma and Washington, have also introduced similar legislation. Demonstrating how cellphones in school settings are an issue that states country wide are trying to juggle.
How would this proposed bill impact Troy High School and student learning as a whole? Kerry Brennan, Troy High School’s Assistant Principal, ensures that students would benefit from these policies not only educationally, but also mentally. She emphasizes how research shows the negative impacts cellphone usage can have on developing children. “Thinking about having stricter phone policies at Troy High, even if it wasn’t a state law, it’s backed on research. It’s not just adults saying they want control over kids, that’s not what it is at all.” Brennan continues by saying, “During adolescence, as your brain is making neurological connections and forming memories and sementing experiences. The phone, specifically social media, has a huge role in that and can have a very negative impact.”
Adding onto Brennan’s claims regarding social media and the negative impact personal phones have on a student’s developing brain, the book, “The Anxious Generation,” addresses how the rise in social media use is the leading cause in the increase of mental illness shown in young children. The book also provides administrators insight on developmental and mental impacts cellphones have on their students. Remo Roncone, Principal of Troy High School, describes the contents of this book by saying, “It [The Anxious Generation] talks about, especially in our younger kids, that earlier access to social media and texting. It really has had a negative impact on them and they don’t even realize what it is doing to them. Taking charge of that and taking it away, while it would be hard for some teenagers, ultimately it helps them.”
Overall, teachers and staff at Troy High School are on the same page when it comes to cellphone restrictions. They believe this bill will provide their students opportunities to prioritize their time and use class time for actual class work. Even if it might be a huge change from what students are used to, it will only benefit them in the long run and teach them skills of self-control. Lisa Danhoff, a health teacher at Troy High School, expressed how fully getting rid of cellphones in classrooms would increase student productivity and overall improve academic performance by minimizing distractions.
Even though many staff and administrators are in favor of the proposed bill, however, students have many mixed opinions regarding the potential restrictions that would be placed on them. This includes many not in favor, which is not surprising since many students have had access to their phones from a young age and can’t imagine a school day where they are not allowed to access their phones. Despite this, there are still a few students who are expressing their favor on this bill and believe it would increase productivity in school. Rithwika Uttaradi, a senior at Troy High School, is one of a few students who doesn’t bring their phone with them on school grounds. She expresses how not having access to a cell phone has increased her school productivity. “I focus more when I don’t have my cellphone since I leave it at home, but I pay attention more instead of constantly thinking of who’s texting me and etc,” said Uttaradi.
Many parents also share their concerns that taking cellphones away from their children during class time can be a safety concern. This concern has only increased as more school shootings have risen in all schools around the country. Roncone comments on parents’ concerns by arguing that students having their cellphones on them during emergencies wouldn’t benefit them and would not provide them with any sorts of important information. “Parents have gotten very used to and accustomed to a time where they could text their kid real quick. There was a time where students had no phones and we were able to get them what they needed.” He continues by saying, “But as far as safety and security, I am very well versed in all of our ALICE protocols and things of that nature. Nothing is coming to student phones that give you more or less information related to a safety measure.” Tisdel also comments on parents’ concerns by stating that providing students with phones during school emergencies would put children more at risk due to the noise and disturbances it causes when students try contacting their parents. He also claims that emergency responders would not want to be bombarded with multiple calls reporting on the same situation.
The bill on restricting or banning cellphones is only a proposed bill, so it has to go through a long process in order to be signed and put into law. First, the bill must be an idea that is drafted by a member of Congress and then has to be approved by the House and the Senate. Justine Nelson, a government teacher at Troy High School, describes this process more in depth. “The bill will go through the house and it will be referred to the appropriate committee, they will review it, sign if they want to bring it to the House floor. If they decide yes, the bill will go through the House and has to go through the Michigan Senate as well. If they can come to an agreement on a bill that comes the same from both houses then it will be up to the Governor that will ultimately decide whether or not this is something that passes in the state.”
Although House Bill 5921 is only a proposed piece of legislation, it will take a long time in order for this bill to be approved and become an active law implemented in public schools across the state. In the meantime, the Troy School District is having talks regarding if they want to implement this rule in all schools across the district. As of right now, the four middle schools and all the elementary schools in the Troy School District have an established ban against cellphones during school hours, but nothing has been set in stone at the high school level. However, future and current high school students should expect a transition of these rules shifting into high schools as more and more research regarding cellphones are being conducted.
