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Ask HN: Would you support a total ban on students bringing devices to school?

3 points by hoodoof ↗ HN
My thinking: digital addiction is a real problem. Children (and adults) do not engage with the real world or each other, and instead live in a distracted state waiting only to interact with their computing device. At lunchtime and recess they stare into their phones. They bully each other via social media. They do not play, interact, socialize or exercise. Student owned computing devices are a disaster for secondary schools.

I am thinking a state government level complete ban on students at all schools bringing any computing device to school.

Some schools seem to be banning use of devices at recess and lunch times - I am suggesting all this does is create an enforcement problem, making kids into rulebreakers because they will be constantly smuggling devices into the school yard, which also gives the teachers and constant problem which they will give up on eventually because kids are so deeply addicted to devices.

The solution is a complete/total ban on students bringing any device to school.

I don't believe that there is a valid for kids to have mobile devices to avoid being kidnapped on the way to or from school - it was not happening before digital devices and thus is not a justification for kids needing digital devices now.

What do you think? Would you support a total ban?

If you know anywhere in the world implementing such a ban, feel free to post links.

6 comments

[ 4.6 ms ] story [ 25.1 ms ] thread
devhead
absolutely not.

> digital addiction is a real problem

Is there evidence to support this? what constitutes a problem in your mind?

> Children (and adults) do not engage with the real world or each other

Based on my observations with my kids schools this is far from true. Most kids are engaged and talking in the "real world" whatever that is.

In class, kids aren't supposed to talk. if they plop out there latest smart phone for some fun and there's a rule against it, then they'll get in trouble. Just like the last generate did when they brought in cd players, walkmans, yo-yo's, etc.

mindcrime
No, I do not support this at all. If kids aren't playing or socializing or exercising to your standards, that's too bad. Who are you to specify what they should do?

If you were talking classroom time, and there was real evidence to suggest that using digital devices was hurting attainment, then I might be tempted to go along. But use during recess, lunch, etc? No way... AFAICT, that's what lunch breaks are for - catching up on email, checking HN, etc.

softwareman
As you said not only are children addicted to Devices.

Lets do it for the whole humanity. It should be illegal to use any kind of device after work. Howzzat!!!

PS: its a joke.

yesenadam
Yes I would support a total ban, sounds very sensible.

I've noticed in the past that this topic—limiting anyone's right to use their phone at any time or place—gets by far the most fervent, visceral objections of any topic discussed on here. And also that the commenters' degree of rejection of phone-limitation seems inversely proportional to the quality of the comment, however you want to measure that. It seems common to feel "I should be able to use my phone whenever and wherever I want", and simply apply that to every particular situation under discussion, no thought required, coming up with all kinds of far-fetched reasons to justify it; but the gut reaction Muh phone seems the driver.

bjourne
Sure. I'd support a ban for adults too!