Could cell phone restrictions be coming to K-12 public schools in Michigan?
Oakland County Representative Mark Tisdel introduced a bill that would do just that.
House Bill 5921 would prohibit or restrict the use of smartphones in public schools. K-5 students wouldn’t be allowed to have devices during school hours, while middle school students could have access to their phones before and after school.
High school students would be prohibited from using phones during class but could use them freely in hallways between classes, in the lunchroom, and after school.
“In the bill, that methodology it’s not spelled out, the school systems are also given leeway to be more restrictive if they like,” said the republican lawmaker from Rochester Hills.
The bill has been assigned to the education committee. A committee hearing will follow, likely sometime this year.
Rep. Tisdel also wants to see third-party age verification for minors joining social media platforms.
He reasons that studies show social media’s impact on young adults.
“This is a sleep problem, a mental health problem, and a self-esteem problem,” Rep. Tisdel said. “One study showed the average student has nine hours of screen time, not including instructional time or television.”
Some school districts already have restrictions
About 27 school districts in the state already have restrictions in place.
The East Jackson Community Schools District is one of them. East Jackson Secondary School principal Joel Cook says they did away with phones in their middle school two years ago.
“We tried everything,” said Cook. " In the room, power off, it didn’t work. We tried holders in the room, but it didn’t work. The one thing we hadn’t tried yet was keeping them out of the classroom entirely.”
In addition to phones being a distraction to learning, they were also a source of other problems.
“Probably 95% of our bullying comes from a social post,” Cook said. “A lot of those incidents are taking place during the school day.”
Cook admits that enforcing it is difficult, but it works when every teacher is on board.
High school students can only use their phones during lunch breaks and in between classes.
For parents concerned about being able to reach their child during an emergency, Cook said, “What I think a lot of people don’t understand is how prepared schools have to be in that situation, we can still get messages out through our school power system.”