The school year is quickly coming up in Utah and the age-old (not really) debate about cellphone use is back.  

Earlier in the year, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox encouraged schools in Utah to ban cellphone use. Delta Highschool and a Junior High in the Granite school district followed this and has kids check in their phones during the school day.  

Now, I can see where educators would get frustrated trying to corral kids into learning but here is the thing, cellphones are here to stay. In fact, there could be a time when they are implanted so there is that to think about.  

I went to school during a time when social media was booming, and kids still had the autonomy to use it outside and sometimes inside classrooms freely. Some educators may feel it's a distraction but many have also used it for classroom activities and that's a positive.  

Instead of banning phones it's a good time to practice having them at as a distraction because workforces and colleges are not going to bother with that. You reap what you sow kind of a deal. As addicted as kids seem, it's better to help them through social media issues instead of ignoring them.  

In a worst-case-scenario, a school shooting, fire or bomb could happen, and your kid’s cellphone being locked up is bad. One cellphone could change the course of events with a 911 call, get photo evidence or voice recording against bullying, and other issues.  

A phone is a safety device, and it should be treated as such. Yes, it has other features but so do most gadgets and tech these days. Kids will grow up in a world constantly surrounded by media, but learning to live with it is their future.  

 

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