@@ Surgeon General: Warning Label on Social Media

[Jalapeñomel]

Los Angeles schools have passed a ban on cellphones in school:

www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-18/lausd-board-approved-strict-cell-phone-ban

Sorry I missed the other link above.

[erbear]

Jun 21, 2024 9:53:24 GMT -5 melmaria said:

Jun 21, 2024 9:28:27 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Cellphones, social media to be banned in Los Angeles public schools
www.axios.com/2024/06/18/la-schools-vote-to-ban-cell-phones-during-school-day

I’m in a working group to try to make this happen in my district. It is a huge uphill battle, mostly because of parents.

This is also an interesting component of the pushback. Parents think cell phones keep their kids safe in schools. I understand this, obviously -- I have kids in middle and high school myself and I like to know that they could reach me in an emergency. But the truth is that cell phones make it less safe in a school shooting -- they make noise, they out hiding places. 

[formerlyak]

Jun 21, 2024 11:14:40 GMT -5 erbear said:

Jun 21, 2024 9:53:24 GMT -5 melmaria said:

I’m in a working group to try to make this happen in my district. It is a huge uphill battle, mostly because of parents.

This is also an interesting component of the pushback. Parents think cell phones keep their kids safe in schools. I understand this, obviously -- I have kids in middle and high school myself and I like to know that they could reach me in an emergency. But the truth is that cell phones make it less safe in a school shooting -- they make noise, they out hiding places. 

This exactly. We had a lockdown this year because a kid brought a gun to campus and a peer reported it. Parents were mad that their kids didn't answer their calls or text them. I work for a nonprofit that partners with our district and received lots of calls and texts. I had to remind people that the kids are instructed to not use their phones because noises while they are hiding can be the difference between staying hidden and ... bad things.

[Saudade]

Jun 21, 2024 9:28:27 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Cellphones, social media to be banned in Los Angeles public schools
www.axios.com/2024/06/18/la-schools-vote-to-ban-cell-phones-during-school-day

I need to read the article so maybe this is mentioned, but…

How does enforcement work?
My kids’ school has an “away for the day” policy and phones etc are not allowed. But it doesn’t do jack shit and kids still bring/use them

My kids don’t have phones, so I don’t know consequences here if they’re used/found. But my oldest has said nothing happens

[pixy0stix]

Jun 21, 2024 12:31:45 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Jun 21, 2024 11:14:40 GMT -5 erbear said:

This is also an interesting component of the pushback. Parents think cell phones keep their kids safe in schools. I understand this, obviously -- I have kids in middle and high school myself and I like to know that they could reach me in an emergency. But the truth is that cell phones make it less safe in a school shooting -- they make noise, they out hiding places. 

This exactly. We had a lockdown this year because a kid brought a gun to campus and a peer reported it. Parents were mad that their kids didn't answer their calls or text them. I work for a nonprofit that partners with our district and received lots of calls and texts. I had to remind people that the kids are instructed to not use their phones because noises while they are hiding can be the difference between staying hidden and ... bad things.

People have such a false sense of security when it comes to phones. Like you tell people to NOT be on the phone when they're walking alone, and the pushback is immense. No, being on the phone doesn't make you safe because the person you're talking with will know that something happened. It makes you a giant glowing target because you are distracted, no matter what you think. (You being general here.)

[katfco]

This year was my first time teaching high school and I fought a pitched battle to ban phones in my room. So many teachers are so tired of fighting about it, they don’t bother to enforce no phone policies.
And I still had parents texting their kids in the middle of class.

In the middle I was in last year, phones were banned to a point if it was visible at all (even sticking out a back pocket), it was automatic detention.

Phones and social media have changed how kids interact with each other so much, it often feels like we’re fighting a losing battle.

[erbear]

Jun 21, 2024 12:33:47 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Jun 21, 2024 9:28:27 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Cellphones, social media to be banned in Los Angeles public schools
www.axios.com/2024/06/18/la-schools-vote-to-ban-cell-phones-during-school-day

I need to read the article so maybe this is mentioned, but…

How does enforcement work?
My kids’ school has an “away for the day” policy and phones etc are not allowed. But it doesn’t do jack shit and kids still bring/use them

My kids don’t have phones, so I don’t know consequences here if they’re used/found. But my oldest has said nothing happens

I didn’t read the article, but we collect them in a locked bin (every kid has a slot with their name on it) and the bin stays locked in my closet (each grade has a separate one). I can see quickly who didn’t turn theirs in so I can ask them to do so. I’m sure there are some kids who are lying and say they don’t have one, but I check every once in a while (I’ll email and ask) and most kids just turn them in without complaint. They have actually said quite a bit that they hate it, but they like not having phones everywhere.

[abs]

Jun 21, 2024 12:33:47 GMT -5 Saudade said:

Jun 21, 2024 9:28:27 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Cellphones, social media to be banned in Los Angeles public schools
www.axios.com/2024/06/18/la-schools-vote-to-ban-cell-phones-during-school-day

I need to read the article so maybe this is mentioned, but…

How does enforcement work?
My kids’ school has an “away for the day” policy and phones etc are not allowed. But it doesn’t do jack shit and kids still bring/use them

My kids don’t have phones, so I don’t know consequences here if they’re used/found. But my oldest has said nothing happens

It needs support at the district level and from admin. DD’s school is phone free except for before/after school/lunch. It works pretty well. Zero tolerance policy and if a teacher spots a kid on their phone they turn it into admin. Kid can get it back at the end of the day for the first offense plus lunch detention. After that parent must come get it and more severe penalties. If teachers are on their own unfortunately these policies won’t work.

[sent]

I asked a family that had a graduating 8th grader to come over last year and explain what we could expect in our middle school. She said even though the policy is no phones out during class, kids are using them in the bathrooms to film TikToks. If a teacher makes them turn them in, they turn in a duplicate or something. I'm fuzzy on the details of what else she told me because I couldn't get past the fact that she wasn't given any textbooks for class because all of the class material was online, but that's a separate discussion.

Separately, someone made a "what's a good intro phone for 5th grade" post today. A few moms that I know with kids going to 6th responded that their kids have Apple or other watches for now to limit access to a physical phone and that they're struggling and trying to stay strong. So I don't need to post after all.

[katfco]

sent, a lot of schools have gone away from one textbook per student. Part of it is the expense--those suckers take a lot of the budget; another is that every book you give kids, they have to carry it around. My school doesn't even offer lockers for kids. In addition, post-Covid, most schools are 1:1 devices, so they can access them online.

Never mind the fact that most people are realizing that textbooks aren't necessarily the best way for kids to learn.

I've had kids use duplicate phones before, and yes, I see tons of kids filming tiktoks in the bathroom.

We got my son an iPhone, but the great thing about those is the family restrictions you can put on it. I control my son's screen time, apps and can view his contact list.

[melmaria]

NYC Public Schools may ban phones as early as January: www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/us/nyc-public-schools-cell-phone-ban

[Jalapeñomel]

Jun 26, 2024 20:42:58 GMT -5 melmaria said:

NYC Public Schools may ban phones as early as January: www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/us/nyc-public-schools-cell-phone-ban

We are keeping our fingers crossed.

[karinothing]

While we are banning phones it be nice to put more lockdown on school devices, which can be just as distracting.

[melmaria]

Jun 27, 2024 12:18:04 GMT -5 karinothing said:

While we are banning phones it be nice to put more lockdown on school devices, which can be just as distracting.

100%.

In middle school, my H blocked YouTube from my SD’s device (at the system level). She told him she had to watch YouTube videos for homework sometimes. Sure enough, she was correct. It would be really nice if we could move away from that. I’m sure some videos have instructional value but IMO the benefits do not outweigh the risk of unfettered YouTube access in the classroom (or at home).

It would be nice to find another way to view certain videos on a different platform, when necessary.