Call for a ban on the use of smartphones in schools

Dr Satyawan Saurabh *

Despite the benefits, the increasing misuse of digital technologies like smartphones is taking children away from education. Like any drug, children are becoming victims of its addiction. It is said that banning smartphones in schools will help maintain discipline in class and prevent children from being disturbed online.

It has been said in the UNESCO report that this information technology should be used as a tool. But at the same time, it added that traditional teaching methods should not be left behind. According to research, only one in 10 parents think phones should be used in the classroom. Additionally, the United Nations has warned about the dangers of having smartphones in schools.

These days many activities are being conducted online as it is very convenient. This also includes education. For this reason, mobile phones have become an essential part of their education for students. Things that were earlier explained in class during individual classes can be easily conveyed through texting on the phone.

As said, the debate remains whether mobile phones are good or bad for students, because mobile phones are not just for educational purposes, but a mobile phone is a student's window to the vast world of the internet, Which can often distract the student from their studies. If you are a parent and thinking about admission to school for your child, then this may be worth your attention.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. To use smartphones effectively, children need education and guidance both at home and at school. Adults need to be role models when it is not okay to use them, and they need to enforce boundaries around safe, responsible, and appropriate use. One major side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that it has forced many schoolchildren around the world to use smartphones.

Now its habit has started taking a serious form. The internet is full of explicit stuff, ranging from offensive to gory. While some phones can be controlled externally with a parental lock, many phones do not have this feature, and students can easily access such things. Kids are curious creatures, and it's natural for them to chase things they haven't seen before. In most cases, children at that young age see things that they shouldn't.

The most common disadvantage of mobile phones for kids is that they get addicted to the phone. We have to remember that school students are children after all and they are almost always stressed about studies and extra-curricular activities.

This is the reason why when a phone comes into their hands, they get immersed in it. This habit sometimes becomes so bad that students start neglecting their studies to get back to their phones as soon as possible. Smartphone addiction has increased in crores of people during the Kovid epidemic and hence now there is a lot of discussion about its loss.

Excessive use of mobile phones will not allow students to learn and it also works to kill their creativity to an extent. It also reduces the human interaction of students with teachers. As education is increasingly moving online, while there are many advantages to using mobile phones for students, there are also some negative aspects.

Students often end up depending on their mobile phones for activities that they could do well on their own. This includes simple tasks such as basic calculations, as they can using the phone's calculator app.

Or, sometimes, they don't remember the answer to a quiz that should be studied and memorized, prompting them to look it up online. Social interaction between students and teachers is essential for effective learning and should not be ignored.

Take a serious and careful look at how technology is being used in schools. There is a need for a human-centered approach in schools where digital technology acts as a tool and not the dominant one. If we look back to the time when mobile phones were still not so deeply integrated with our everyday needs, we would see that students used many physical activities to take a break from their studies.

However, these days, 4 out of 8 students are more likely to stay indoors and use their phones to waste time. Mobile phones essentially bring the whole world in the palm of one hand, and thus children are more glued to their mobile phone screens instead of indulging in sports or any social activities.

Children need to be taught why information is useful and what to ignore, both with and without technology. Technology should never be a substitute for teachers, rather technology should be used as an assistive tool to achieve the common objective of providing quality education to all.