While a ban on cellphones in Ontario classrooms will temporarily keep them out of students‘ hands, the move will do little to support the mental health of youth across the province, say Brock University experts.
While a ban on cellphones in Ontario classrooms will temporarily keep them out of students‘ hands, the move will do little to support the mental health of youth across the province, say Brock University experts.
Assistant Professor Naomi Andrews in the Department of Child and Youth Studies says that while limiting cellphone use in schools might reduce in-class distractions, it won’t address many of the underlying problems that impact the mental health of children and youth.
„The focus seems to be on implementing a ban, and then enforcement—what the penalties and consequences are for not adhering to the policy—but that is not getting at the root causes of youth’s struggles concentrating in the classroom, such as mental health issues, peer relationship struggles or social media addiction,“ she says. „Simply banning cellphones is not going to address all of these challenges, nor will implementing punishments for students who don’t adhere.
