Portage Northern High School is one of very few schools left that has not committed to no-cell-bell-to-bell. Recently, Portage Central High School has implemented a no-cell-bell-to-bell phone policy, and other schools in the area have decided to commit to the same or similar policies. It’s time for Northern to do the same and ban cell phones. 

As a student in school, I have witnessed multiple occasions where my peers have snuck onto their cell phones and been distracted by them. Recently, I have lost the urge to pull out my phone and check notifications due to my teachers implementing punishment if done so. “I feel phones should be banned because it would cause students to think less of what’s going on, on their device and more on what’s occurring in class,” said junior Alexis Schultz. “I feel like I use my phone at school because I’m so used to going on it. Whenever I have any free time in class I go on it and it distracts me from what’s going on around me.” Other students can agree that it distracts them from their surroundings. Throughout my 3 years in high school, I have noticed the use of cell phones is only getting worse. Students will do anything to get the chance to use their phones, even if it means asking to go to the bathroom so they can use it. It’s not just at Northern either: the issue is so big that they are even talking about banning phones in classroom at the state level. 

So now I have to ask myself the question, does banning phones really help with staying focused? Personally, last year I noticed my first semester grades were absolutely slumped. Before the second semester started, I told myself I was going to lock in and do well the following quarters of the school year. Mark my words, I did just that. But how? I stopped using my phone and my airpods during class. This immediately brought my focus to a 100% level. I kept my phone in my bag for the entire school day for the rest of the year. My peers started asking me how I was doing so well on tests or quizzes and I would tell them I just stopped using my phone. This brought my GPA up an entire point to make up for my first semester grades.

I am not alone in noticing how much a student’s focus can improve when cell phones are removed from the picture. “I don’t really like the ban, but I understand why they banned phones.  I feel more focused now since,” shared Portage Central junior Gladson Lerebours, who has had a schoolwide no cell phone rule since school started.

If the people I know from my school and other schools can understand why phones are being banned, then we should consider implementing this rule at Portage Northern. “I think that it would be good to have a uniformed standard policy for the entire school. That way students aren’t confused, staff is not confused, it also does not pin teachers against each other by students, said PN history teacher Aaron Warfield. “From the results and studies that have been done with schools that have already been doing over the last year or two, it shows that there has been an increase in productiveness from students and problems as far as being distracted in the classroom.”

Portage Northern High School should commit to no-cell-bell-to-bell because of the vast amount of distractions our cell phones cause us, because deep down many students agree, and because it will help improve productivity. Most students are victims of using our phones during class, but not all of us have the strength to make the decision to stop using them on our own. It might not be the most convenient rule, but learning when you’re actually focused can be helpful in the future, and school can even be more enjoyable when you understand what you’re learning.