KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers parts of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.

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Many students in Kansas have returned to school with new cell phone bans. These changes came after school districts heard from students, families and teachers about how disruptive cell phones can be during class.

“We know that cell phones and electronic devices are now a normal part of our daily lives. Part of education is teaching students how to use them appropriately. At the same time, our top priority as an educational institution is to make sure our students are learning when they are in our classrooms and when we have them with us,” said Becky Grubaugh of Olathe Public Schools.

In Olathe, students in eighth grade and below are not allowed to use devices during the school day. High school students are allowed to use them outside of class, such as during lunch and recess, but only when the teacher allows it. Students are always allowed to use them in an emergency or when they need them for their health.

Student Christian Shirey told KSHB 41 that they understand why the rule needs to be in place.

“I understand why people want to spend so much time on their phones,” Shirey said. “I think that’s fair because they don’t want other people accessing it.”

Other districts in Johnson County with new phone policies include Shawnee Mission School District and Gardner Edgerton Unified School District. These districts join many others across the country in this movement.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported that by 2020, 77% of schools had banned cell phones. A major reason for this is mental health and the impact phones have on children.

Tim DeWeese is the director of Johnson County Mental Health, where there is ongoing work to understand the connection between cell phones and mental health. He says the distraction they pose to students goes deeper than just disrupting their teacher’s class.

“We’re trying to prepare kids emotionally, socially and academically for the future. And yes, technology will be a part of that, but they also need to be able to build relationships with people. They also need to be able to focus their attention on a particular subject at any given time,” DeWeese said.

DeWeese says that while phones are designed to keep us connected and capture our attention, they direct students’ attention in the wrong place.

This concern was also brought to our attention by parents during the week, namely that mobile phones represent a psychological burden for students.

Other parents had safety concerns, but DeWeese called cell phones a “safety net that doesn’t exist.” He said these policies would force parents to think more about why they contact their children during the school day and trust that educators and school staff will address safety concerns.

“We have these devices that are supposed to keep us connected and improve our lives, and in many ways they do that. But we’re learning that there are also unintended consequences. And, you know, we distract ourselves,” DeWeese said.

DeWeese has high hopes for the new policy.

“I think we’re going to see kids soon who are able to hold a conversation, who can stay attentive longer in class, and maybe perform better in school. And I think it’s also going to get us to the point where we can start communicating and interacting with other people, not through a device, but human to human. And I think that’s great,” DeWeese said.

According to the National Educators Association, cell phone bans are designed to improve things like cyberbullying, attendance and student mental health. That echoes what DeWeese said about creating a healthy learning environment when it comes to the academic material students have in front of them, but that also helps students with social and emotional learning.

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