AKRON , Ohio (WJW) — Cell phones and social media have long been blamed for issues at school and now there’s a renewed push to block both from K-12 classrooms under House Bill 485.
One of the area’s largest districts banned phones this school year and noticed a big change. Data is still being collected at Akron Public Schools , which has reported an apparent decrease in fights.
“It’s created physical conflicts in terms of staging fights, filming fights, posting fights on social media, bullying, fake threats at the school, gun threats,” said Don Zesiger, director of security at Akron Public Schools. “It’s really a distraction from the educational process.”
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Zesiger said the proactive policy has made a significant difference among students.
“We’ve had students admit that unplugging from their phone during the school day is a good thing. It’s lessened their anxiety,” said Zesiger.
The district requires students to keep their phones in a specialized pouch that locks, created by the company Yonder.