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Is there any argument that phones are a good thing for kids to have in school? There are a lot of things children are not allowed in school. Why are phones, w

Is there any argument that phones are a good thing for kids to have in school? There are a lot of things children are not allowed in school. Why are phones, which at best have little to no benefit, and at worst may impede learning, cause depression, cause bullying that follows the child all the way back home from the playground, cause social stratification, etc allowed until we have a better idea of their impact?

david38 3y ago
I can think of at least one. Bullying on buses has dropped significantly in many places because people can now browse the internet instead of tormenting weaker students to kill boredom?
- Georgelemental 3y ago
  I can think of a better solution: bring proper discipline back to schools.
- Llamamoe 3y ago
  Reduced engagement with the world and other kids around them is a pretty sharp price to pay for less bullying. We really should do better.
  - Nasrudith 3y ago
    Spoken like one who has never been bullied. "Engagement" is the last thing the victim wants for a damned good reason.
    - Llamamoe 3y ago
      I have been. I just find the prospect of a world where humans barely interact with each other and are even closer to universally lonely and even less engaged with real life than right now to be extremely, extremely concerning. There's data to suggest that mobile phone use and social media in particular are responsible for vastly higher levels of mental illness than any bullying has ever been. Cutting humans off from reality is an extremely bad solution to bullying. We can and need to do better.
- thrawaway3292 3y ago
  I suspect any marginal reduction of bullying because kids are too busy with their phones is more than counteracted by the much more pervasive and persistent bullying resulting from them being able to record everything happening in school.
igetspam 3y ago
In the increasingly likely event that there's a school shooting, I want my kid to be able to call the police and me. I can't fathom an American parent not wanting their kid to have the ability to send an SOS any more.
- Gigachad 3y ago
  At least how it was when I was in school is that you could have a phone in your pocket, you were just not allowed to take it out during school hours. Doing so could result in it being taken for the length of the class and possibly some other penalty.
- prepend 3y ago
  The odds of a school shooting, while sadly too high, are still too infinitesimally low to affect any planning you and your kids make. Carrying a phone just because of potential school shootings is like wearing body armor for the same purposes.
- ryanmercer 3y ago
  If my wife and I had children, we would 100% keep their phones at home every morning. They would not go to school with them, period. They're an unnecessary distraction during the school day (and my wife is a high school teacher).
InCityDreams 3y ago
>cause depression Phones cause depression? More likely to be the abilities of the phone will allow people to access certain things that could cause depression. It's a point I'll make soley as it reminds me of "ice caused the accident" argument, and why uk cops call Road Traffic Accidents Road Traffic Collisions.

david38 3y ago

I can think of at least one. Bullying on buses has dropped significantly in many places because people can now browse the internet instead of tormenting weaker students to kill boredom?

Georgelemental 3y ago
I can think of a better solution: bring proper discipline back to schools.
Llamamoe 3y ago
Reduced engagement with the world and other kids around them is a pretty sharp price to pay for less bullying. We really should do better.
- Nasrudith 3y ago
  Spoken like one who has never been bullied. "Engagement" is the last thing the victim wants for a damned good reason.
  - Llamamoe 3y ago
    I have been. I just find the prospect of a world where humans barely interact with each other and are even closer to universally lonely and even less engaged with real life than right now to be extremely, extremely concerning. There's data to suggest that mobile phone use and social media in particular are responsible for vastly higher levels of mental illness than any bullying has ever been. Cutting humans off from reality is an extremely bad solution to bullying. We can and need to do better.
thrawaway3292 3y ago
I suspect any marginal reduction of bullying because kids are too busy with their phones is more than counteracted by the much more pervasive and persistent bullying resulting from them being able to record everything happening in school.

igetspam 3y ago

In the increasingly likely event that there's a school shooting, I want my kid to be able to call the police and me. I can't fathom an American parent not wanting their kid to have the ability to send an SOS any more.

Gigachad 3y ago
At least how it was when I was in school is that you could have a phone in your pocket, you were just not allowed to take it out during school hours. Doing so could result in it being taken for the length of the class and possibly some other penalty.
prepend 3y ago
The odds of a school shooting, while sadly too high, are still too infinitesimally low to affect any planning you and your kids make. Carrying a phone just because of potential school shootings is like wearing body armor for the same purposes.
ryanmercer 3y ago
If my wife and I had children, we would 100% keep their phones at home every morning. They would not go to school with them, period. They're an unnecessary distraction during the school day (and my wife is a high school teacher).

InCityDreams 3y ago

>cause depression Phones cause depression? More likely to be the abilities of the phone will allow people to access certain things that could cause depression. It's a point I'll make soley as it reminds me of "ice caused the accident" argument, and why uk cops call Road Traffic Accidents Road Traffic Collisions.