Orange County Public Schools in Florida
Complete Ban on On-Campus Use Since Last September
Since last September, a public school in Florida, USA, that has completely banned the use of cell phones on campus has attracted academic attention due to both positive and negative effects. While the ban on cell phones has led to an increase in students' offline activities, which is seen as positive, there are negative evaluations that surveillance of students has intensified and it has become difficult for them to develop self-control skills.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 31st of last month (local time) that public schools in Orange County, Florida, have created and implemented a rule banning the use of cell phones on campus starting this fall, and covered reactions from students, teachers, and parents.
In May, Florida enacted a state law prohibiting students from using cell phones during class time in public schools. Accordingly, public schools in Florida ban students from using cell phones during class and restrict students' access to social media in areas where Wi-Fi is provided. Schools are also required to educate students on how social media manipulates behavior.
Going a step further, Orange County in Florida established a regulation that prohibits the use of cell phones not only during class time but anywhere on campus in public schools.
On the first day this rule was enforced in September this year, students in various public schools in Orange County were seen having their cell phones confiscated by teachers. At Timber Creek High School, more than 100 cell phones were confiscated on the first day of enforcement, but the number of confiscations quickly decreased afterward.
With cell phones disappearing from campus, interactions increased and physical activities on campus rose. According to reports, last month at Timber Creek High School, students were seen coming out to the plaza during lunch, eating, and gathering in small groups to chat. Some students also enjoyed pickleball, a sport combining badminton, table tennis, and tennis, on the playground.
Nikita McCaskill, a teacher at Timber Creek, said, "Students are talking more and showing a more cooperative attitude." Another teacher shared that students who used to walk while looking at their cell phones even in the hallways now make eye contact and greet each other when they meet, and seem to participate more actively in class.
Peyton Stanley, a student at the school, said, "Now people can't say, 'Look at me on Instagram. That's who I am,'" adding, "Instead of saying who they are online, it helps them be their true selves at school."
However, this regulation has led to increased surveillance of students on campus. Security staff at Timber Creek patrol the campus in golf carts during lunch, confiscating cell phones from students caught using them and taking them to the office. There are also cases of monitoring through CCTV installed in hallways.
Moreover, there is criticism that the educational effect is diminished because students should be taught to take responsibility for and control their own behavior at school, but forced control is being imposed. There are also concerns that communication with parents is lost and it becomes difficult to add friends' phone numbers to cell phones, making the policy inappropriate.
The NYT stated, "It is not yet known whether the potential benefits of the cell phone ban outweigh the costs of restricting students' freedom," but added, "What is clear is that such bans are changing a generation's academic and social norms regarding cell phones."
As excessive cell phone use among teenagers has become a problem recently, more places around the world are introducing bans on students' use of cell phones on campus. In South Korea as well, the Ministry of Education announced in August through the 'Notice on Teachers' Student Life Guidance' that from September this year, all elementary, middle, and high schools will prohibit students from using cell phones during class.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
