In case you haven’t heard, PPS has finally decided on a phone policy. A rule that will apply to all high school and middle school students district wide. And in classic PPS fashion, they decided that a blanket ban was the right move.
By banning smart devices district-wide, PPS has shot itself in the foot. Let me explain. What is the point of schooling? I would argue it’s to create competent members of society. Math sets you up to design roads and rail tracks, Government sets you up to be a civic participant, and English sets you up to be an effective communicator. Even if the PPS mission statement does not once mention success or society, I think it’s fair to imply. After all, what school tries to stop students from succeeding?
The problem is that this policy decision sets graduates up for failure. Phones are indeed an issue; I mean, last year my classes were full of phone zombies. I vividly recall sitting in a class where one or two tables were listening to the teacher, while everyone else was staring down at their phones. And believe it or not, they were all failing. It’s almost as if teenagers have poor self control.
Because they do.
And how will they learn it if PPS doesn’t let them? You know the saying: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” If you just have PPS step in, people are never going to learn to self regulate. Tell kids to pay attention, teach them for a day. Teach kids to pay attention, teach them for a lifetime. By banning smart devices, PPS is not fixing the problem. They are simply passing the buck.
As teenagers, we are destined to fail. We try new things, and figure ourselves out. We learn by failing. It’s a fact of life. We’re learning more than just arithmetic and social studies, we’re learning how to socialize. If you cuss out your teacher, you’re getting sent home. But if as an adult you cuss out your boss, you’re getting fired. It’s important to learn lessons now; while there’s still a safety net.
At this point, I’m sure you have only one question: “What should PPS have done then, smart guy?” Well, it’s a complicated issue. And not one that I can confidently answer. I think the best policy decision is, well, to have no policy decision. By letting each school do what they feel is right, they can see how different policies cause different outcomes. We can see not only the immediate impact of a decision, but its long-term cost.
Maybe the Clackamas school district has lowered fighting by 50% because of cell phone bans, like board member Eddie Wang stated. Hell, let’s just take them at their word and assume that it’s a definite fact. What happens to all these kids once they get their phones back? When a fight no longer gets you suspended, but gets you jailed? What can they say to our generation a decade in the future, when violence goes up? “Oops?”
Like with all issues, this is a tough one. It’s new, it’s important, and it’s complicated. But if there’s one thing I know, it’s that infantilization is never the answer. Especially not when paired with an iron fist.