'It's a poison for people.' Stark County students offer thoughts on cellphones in school

Libby Reese admits she is addicted to her phone.

So when the Northwest High School senior learned about the district's new cellphone policy this school year, she wasn't very happy.

The 18-year-old was used to having her phone on her all the time. While she wasn't allowed to sit on her phone in class, she knew she could sneak a peek.

This school year, the policy has changed. High school students must place their cellphone in a numbered pouch at the door of the classroom.

"I was not a fan," the 18-year-old said. "But I see the difference. I am focusing more on schoolwork. Honestly, it's a poison for people in general."

Last month, Gov. Mike DeWine and  Lt. Gov. Jon Husted met with school leaders during a roundtable to discuss research showing cellphone use is negatively affecting students' mental health, academic performance and social well-being.

DeWine urged educators across the state to consider banning — or at least limiting the use — of phones in schools.

What are schools doing about students using cellphones?

Districts across the nation have different policies dealing with cellphone use at school. The Clark County School District in Nevada will require students in sixth through 12th grade to put their phone in pouches next school year. The non-locking pouches will be placed in an area of the classroom accessible to students in case of an emergency.

Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in school. A new law requires public schools ban the use of phones by students during class and block access to social media on district Wi-Fi. Other states also have introduced similar measures.

In Stark County, rules regarding cellphones range from keeping phones shut off and in backpacks to placing the phones in a designated pouch during class.

The Repository asked area students what they thought about DeWine's recommendation to ban phones in school and what they liked about their school's policy.

What do Stark County students think of cellphone use at school?

Cellphone bans: Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution?

At Hoover High School, phone use is at the discretion of teachers.

Senior Reese Henne said some teachers don't mind if you have your phone on your desk while others require it to be turned off and put away.

She prefers the freedom of being able to see and use her phone. When a teacher requires them to be out of sight, Henne finds herself tempted to look at her phone.

While she doesn't see the need to ban phones from school, Henne understands the impact of phones on a student's mental health.

The 18-year-old said social media plays a part in how teens view themselves.

Henne doesn't believe it negatively impacts her academics. She often uses her phone in the classroom as a calculator or for quick reference — noting sometimes it takes longer to look something up on a Chrome book rather than her phone.

"I feel like DeWine didn't grow up with a phone like we did," she said. "It shouldn't be his decision. Taking away our phones will lead to more disciplinary problems."

Henne's classmate Grant Walker enjoys the freedom of being able to have his phone during school.

"I wouldn't like to have it taken away from me," the 18-year-old senior said. "We're not used to not having our phones. We've grown up with it. It's normal."

He sees how the use of a phone could impact mental health, but the freedom to use his phone at school allows him to escape from school and refresh his mental health by playing a quick game or scrolling on social media.

'We were the cellphone police.'

At Northwest High School, Reese has seen the difference the new policy has made. Previously, students were using their phones to cheat on tests.

Northwest Principal Larry Tausch said the new policy has helped in a number of ways.

Teachers are not spending their time policing the use of cellphones. The former policy, he said, would work but it would lose steam as the school year progressed.

"The last nine weeks of school, we were the cellphone police," Tausch explained. "It was exhausting to ask of our teachers."

Teachers believe the new policy has given them 15 minutes more of instruction time, he said.

It's also cut down on bullying and cheating.

"A student would be videotaped in the classroom without knowing, then it got posted. It's cut down on that," Tausch said. "You can't videotape a fight. Things are kept private. There is no downside."

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To ensure the policy worked, Tausch said, they got parents invested in the plan from the start. There was a simple message: If you don't like the policy, go somewhere else, he added.

They also agreed to allow students to use their phones in the hallway, during lunch and in study halls.

"That's three minutes tops (in the hallway) and then they are back into a pocket," Tausch said. "I think we almost empowered parents to use their cellphones as a behavioral tool. A lot of times parents are afraid to take their phones away."

Northwest freshman Brayden Venables was already used to not having his phone in school when he made the move to the high school. In middle school, phones had to remain off and in a book bag.

He believes the school's policy is a good balance.

There are times when a phone at school is useful, such as communicating about a blood drive and reaching out to students for surveys. Some Northwest teachers also allow them for various activities. Recently, one of Venables' teachers created QR codes for a scavenger hunt.

"People aren't trying to sneak their phones," the 15-year-old said. "I like the policy with pouches. We can focus on learning."

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Stark County students react to proposal to ban cellphones at school