LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — In an era where technology is embedded in nearly every facet of daily life, Michigan school districts are grappling with a pressing question: Should students be allowed to use their cellphones during school hours? As smartphones become more prevalent in schools, districts across Michigan are reevaluating their policies, with many restricting mobile phone use due to concerns over distractions and safety.

While some states like Florida have enacted statewide cellphone bans in schools, Michigan has thus far left these decisions to individual districts. 

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According to Liz Kolb, a professor at University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education, this approach respects the particular needs and cultures of each community. “If there’s one thing I know about students and learning in schools is that each school is different, and the demographics, the culture, the community, all play a role in how important or less Important cellphones might be for learning, for safety,” Kolb said (the Detroit Free Press).

In line with this, East Lansing High School, under the leadership of Principal Ashley Schwarzbek, implemented stricter cellphone policies during the 2022-23 school year.

This decision was driven by a surge in school behavioral issues, which concerned both administrators and the community. “There really is no need for phones or other electronic devices like AirPods during instructional time,” Schwarzbektolf told the Detroit Free Press. The new policy forbids phones in classrooms and common areas during instructional periods, though they are allowed during lunch.

“We saw a really positive change in our overall school culture last year,” Shwarzbek said. “Teachers certainly commented on the increase that they felt in instructional time by not having to constantly redirect students on phones.”

Similar decisions have been made across various districts. For instance,  Detroit Public Schools Community District mandates that smartphones remain out of reach during instructional time, while Plymouth-Canton Community Schools requires elementary and middle school students to keep their devices off and concealed throughout the day. These policies aim to enhance focus and reduce disruptions, according to the Detroit Free Press.

One of the most compelling arguments for allowing cellphones in schools is the potential for immediate communication during emergencies. For example, during the Oxford High School shooting, students used their phones to contact parents, alert authorities, and share real-time information about the situation. At the same time, the proliferation of smartphones has also led to students using them to record fights and other disruptive incidents, exacerbating safety concerns. 

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Thus, the challenge lies in striking a balance between ensuring safety and minimizing distractions. 

Achieving this balance was even more difficult before the pandemic, as Kolb said, when not all students had access to personal computers or internet-connected devices at home. In such cases, cellphones were seen as an accessible alternative that could help bridge this “digital divide”—the gap between those who had easy access to technology and those who did not. When federal pandemic aid began providing laptops or Chromebooks to most students, this gap was largely addressed (the Detroit Free Press). 

“Federal funding allowed almost every school to be able to afford a laptop per child or Chromebook per child,” Kolb said. “And so that’s where we’re starting to see schools now really push back against the student’s cellphone.”

Notably, a proposal similar to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2023 ban on wireless device use during class time was introduced in Michigan in 2022 but ultimately failed to advance.