BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — In a day and age where technology and social media seem to be integrated into every part of our lives, some school districts are trying to create a barrier between students and cellphones. According to CBS News, 95% of students own a phone, getting on average up to 500 notifications a day.
Alabama has about two dozen districts following cellphone bans with more planning to implement them soon, according to State Superintendent Eric Mackey.
“I’ve looked at the pros and cons, I think that there’s a lot more benefit in getting cellphones out of our classrooms than keeping them,” Mackey said.
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Mackey says some Alabama schools saw disciplinary referrals drop 85% in just one year after banning phones.
“When students have that 24 hours a day, and especially during the school day, it just puts too much pressure on them and causes mental health anguish,” Mackey said. “That anguish then can lead to an outburst in the classroom or lead to poor academic performance.”