You know, I’ve been seeing more and more schools across the U.S. banning cell phones completely — not just limiting use, but outright banning students from even carrying them. And honestly? That scares me. It feels like we’re trying to solve the wrong problem in the worst way.
These kids are not living in the same world we grew up in. When I was in school, we never had lockdowns for active shooter threats. We had fire drills, tornado drills — but not this. The only time I ever truly felt fear at school was during 9/11. I had gone back at 19 to finish high school. I remember switching from choir to English class when the first plane hit. Then the second.
We didn’t have phones. We didn’t have cable at home. My mom and my grandma had no idea anything had happened until I walked in the door at 4pm. And I remember just wishing I had a way to call them, to tell them I was okay, or to even just check in. If something had happened at my school that day… no one would have known.
Today’s students live with that kind of fear on a regular basis. So many of the school shooting news stories we see start the same way: students calling 911, texting their parents, sharing their location. That’s how law enforcement gets there quickly. That’s how families find their kids. That’s how lives are saved.
Remember that woman who ran into the school and got her child and others to safety? That only happened because her kid texted her and said where they were hiding.
This isn’t just about distraction in the classroom anymore. This is about safety. It’s about trust. It’s about giving kids the tools they need to protect themselves — and us — in the world we handed to them.
If a student misuses their phone, correct the behavior. Just like we do in the workplace. But banning them altogether? That’s not teaching accountability — that’s teaching fear and distrust.
We can’t keep stripping kids of resources and expecting them to thrive. Let them keep their phones. Teach them respect and boundaries — don’t take away one of the only lifelines they have.
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