Why are kids assaulting teachers for taking their phones?
Teachers around the United States are facing an alarming increase in violent outbursts from students who refuse to have their phones confiscated. From being punched in the face to being beaten unconscious, educators are at risk of physical harm due to a combination of teen smartphone addiction and ineffective school policies on phone usage. Psychologist Nicholas Kardaras, author of “Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking our Kids,” explains that phone addiction “very much mirrors all the diagnostic features of an actual addiction.” The dopamine hit received by phone users can lead to dependence, and when teachers attempt to remove the device, students may react aggressively.
The issue is being further compounded by inconsistencies in school policy. Although 77% of schools in the U.S. ban non-academic cell phone use, individual schools and teachers are often left alone to implement their policies. Without clear guidelines, teachers can face the brunt of students’ hostility. Kardaras suggests that school-wide policies would be much more effective. Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University, adds that smartphone addiction is a real phenomenon comparable to substance dependence. Attempts to take their phones away can lead to “explosive rage.”
In Michigan, English teacher Patrick Danz claims that inconsistent phone policies have resulted in low student performance in his classes. In an effort to manage phones in his classroom, Danz created numbered pockets where students could deposit devices. However, he still has to keep an eye out for kids on phones, which he finds “demoralizing.”
Washington School District in southwestern Pennsylvania has implemented a complete phone ban, using Yondr pouches that magnetically lock all students’ phones away until it is time to go home. George Lammay, the district superintendent, reports that teachers have affirmed that student engagement has dramatically improved. Such bans have been proven to support academic performance. A study by the London School of Economics in 2015 found that the bans added the equivalent of an hour of instructional time per week, and test scores went up by 6%. However, imposing such bans is not always straightforward. At Torrington High School in Connecticut last year, a rowdy protest broke out after a phone-pouch policy was proposed.
FAQs:
Q: Why are teachers facing violent outbreaks?
A: The increase in violent outbursts is partially fueled by teen smartphone addiction and inconsistent school policies on phone usage.
Q: What do psychologists say about teen smartphone addiction?
A: Psychologists like Nicholas Kardaras and Anna Lembke suggest that smartphone addiction “very much mirrors all the diagnostic features of an actual addiction.”
Q: What do schools usually do about cell phone usage?
A: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 77% of schools prohibit non-academic cell phone use.
Q: What do teachers think should be done?
A: They suggest that school-wide policies would be much more effective than individual teacher policies. They also suggest that hard cell phone bans improve academic performance.
Q: Are there any successful hard cell phone bans?
A: Yes, Washington School District in southwestern Pennsylvania has implemented a successful hard cell phone ban, using Yondr pouches that magnetically lock all students’ phones away until it is time to go home.
What is the reason behind students attacking teachers for confiscating their phones?
In 2023, there have already been numerous incidents of violent outbursts towards teachers who attempt to confiscate students’ phones and devices. According to experts, this is due to a combination of teens who are addicted to their smartphones and ineffective school policies regarding phone usage. “Youth phone addiction very much mirrors all the diagnostic features of an actual addiction,” said psychologist Nicholas Kardaras, author of “Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking our Kids.” “Your dopamine gets spiked, and then you get habituated to that reward, and so round and round, you go in pursuit of it.” The lack of clear official orders on phone usage policies puts teachers in a difficult position, as they are left alone to enforce bans. Without consistent policies across all schools, students can target teachers and make it difficult for them to enforce policies that everyone agreed on.
As a result of the lack of consistency, grades are suffering and student performance has plummeted. Michigan high school English teacher Patrick Danz says policing phones in class is “demoralizing.” Although typically violent outbursts in schools are not common, experts warn that they’re becoming more frequent. To combat this issue, some schools are enforcing full-scale phone bans during school hours, such as Yondr pouches that work like retail security tags. Data suggests phone bans improve school performance, as a London School of Economics study found that they resulted in adding the equivalent of an hour of instructional time every week and increasing test scores by 6%.
Despite these benefits, phone bans also come with pushback from parents, with some arguing that their children would be unable to contact them in the event of a school shooting. However, Kardaras suggests that leaving phones at the classroom door rather than a full-scale ban might be a better solution. Legislators have attempted to step in to support schools with policies with mixed results. In 2019, California became the first state to mandate that public schools restrict smartphone use during class time unless they are needed for educational purposes.