People, we need to talk. Over this school year, student’s worst fears have come to life. Countless schools across the country have decided to put their foot down against the increasingly out of hand epidemic of phone usage in class, outright banning phones during school hours in an effort to focus more attention on student learning. Some argue that not only will the change benefit student participation in class, but it is also supposedly aimed to encourage socialization and break down harmful barriers to irl communication, which educators are optimistic will greatly benefit the mental health of many students. 

Unfortunately, these dangerous, radical ideas have found their way to our school, placing the very future of DCPS high schools in the balance. The wave of popularity for measures preventing kids from scrolling in class earlier this year led DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto to propose legislation banning the use of personal devices by students during the school day, requiring phones be locked in a safebox before the start of each new day of school. With Pinto’s policy in action, students would be forced to go eight hours straight without their phones… in school, a fact that Councilman Pinto has fought very hard to make a reality.

Wow, I mean, who does this elected DC Councilmember think she is? A day in school without phones, for many, may as well be a day without water. Actually, air. The day to day difference in our students without access to quick technology could be catastrophic, and many are concerned about how classrooms would look without the regular distractions of a cell phone; they can’t possibly make us sit and learn for that long, right? Are teachers ok if I get out some light reading when I don’t want to get called on for a discussion, or is that only for English class? Do we have to play Risk in History, or is Monopoly fine? Is a Rubik’s cube too loud? Of course, these new methods of procrastination would come with even more advanced ways of hiding from the teacher, definitely an interesting silver lining for those bright minds at our school. No matter the case, a ban on phones will not solve the problem of distractions in class, and I doubt teachers want to adapt to the new challenges a ban would bring. 

Now, in all seriousness, there are some legitimate safety concerns floated by council members that certainly jeopardize the proposed bill’s ability to pass. In a world increasingly reliant on telecommunication, lawmakers (and we too!)  are worried that restrictions on phones could lead to serious safety issues for students. In the case of school emergencies, students would be cut off from their phones, and therefore communication with families and authorities. What if a family member needed to contact you, but you missed the call during third period? What if you have an early dismissal, but don’t know what time to leave? What if you just got a notification, and you really really want to check it right now? While lawmakers propose outright prevention of phones, these questions are not being taken into account by those pushing the ban, representing one of the key reasons I and so many others at our school question the strength and purpose of this bill.

While today we may not know our own fate, our student body can only hope, brought together by a common love of Reels and block blast, that students in the upcoming years at this school will be free of restrictions, for all students, and the desire to procrastinate be protected for many classes to come. •