Cell phone use affects students’ focus, attention, and mental health. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, some consider a phone a necessity instead of a privilege. I often use my phone to watch YouTube, play video games, check the time, etc. Phones take up most of my time, mindlessly scrolling through YouTube shorts and wasting time when I could do something more productive. You probably use your phone a lot as well, doing similar things to what I do like mindlessly scrolling through social media. With schools across the country banning phones, students are on their phones less and communicating more. Cyberbullying is one of many ways mental health is being affected.

Furthermore, the findings from URMC highlight that addiction to your phone can be indicated by stuff like a loss of time because of constant checking of apps and internet, feeling anxious if you don’t have access to your phone, and productivity or work being interfered with due to your phone, etc. Given how widespread phones are and how they now take on an essential nature, eliminating the usage of your phone can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Studies further show that even a small reduction in the usage of phones can have a substantial impact. A study from Germany showed that for over a year, reducing cell phone usage by 1 hour per day for a week reduced depression and anxiety and boosted physical activity. One way to reduce/manage your cell phone usage is by being mindful of the amount of time you spend on your phone, a way to track the amount of time you spend on your phone is by looking at your screen time.

For when phones should be allowed during school, I’d say CTL, lunch, hallways during passing time, fire drills, and limited use of phones during full lockdowns. I’m not saying during a building secure or classroom secure since class time isn’t interrupted during those. CTL isn’t a proper class, and if not full phone access, at least make acceptions for stuff like QR codes on club flyers. As for lunch and the hallways during passing time are already in place, I don’t think I need to explain myself. These are short and shouldn’t affect mental health a lot. For when phones shouldn’t be allowed, instructional time like what we have now, but CTL isn’t included.

Cell phones are affecting students’ mental health, focus, and attention. This is something important, social media could make you feel bad about yourself, maybe a model’s body is making you feel bad about your own body, or maybe you’re feeling FOMO, there’s many ways social media can affect your mental health. We can’t forget mindlessly scrolling through something like TikTok, it goes on for hours each day, you can have a hard time focusing on work and probably need two things playing at once for proper entertainment. Phones can affect your life permanently, causing a need for them, which is very unhealthy for kids our age.