On Feb. 11, the House Committee on Education passed Senate Bill 78 (SB 78), which will prohibit the use of a cellphone, smartwatch or another wireless device for the entire school day. Under the current law, prior to SB 78, cell phones are only banned during instructional time.
There will be exceptions for situations such as emergencies and for students with disabilities and multilingual learners who need translation tools.
“I fully support this bill that seeks to help our students,” Rep. Vernon Smith (D-Gary), said. “The state of Indiana has a duty to provide its children with the best education possible. We have a duty to ensure our teachers can do their jobs successfully. Wireless devices are a significant hindrance to both.”
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cellphone distractions are one of the major problems in their classroom. This same study tackles the next major issue from this legislation: enforcement.
While many schools have already had some form of a cellphone policy in place, a number of educators have reported that enforcement around the policy has remained an uphill battle. Students may hide their devices or cause disruptive behavior when asked to relinquish their cellular devices. Many educators have been tasked with enforcing the ban and subsequent disruptions.
“This is also about more than academics,” Smith said. “Social media use is linked to an increase in anxiety, depression and cyberbullying. I hope students learn to set boundaries on their social media use, so they can live their lives fully, not through a screen.”
While many students and parents have voiced their concerns about the new policy, Indiana lawmakers stand firm on their position towards cellphones in classrooms.
Contact Staff Writer Malik Simon at 317-762-7847.
Malik Simon is a Staff Writer for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Memphis, TN, he graduated from Mississippi Valley State University with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies concentrating on journalism. Before joining the Recorder, he wrote for the Devil’s Gazette newspaper at MVSU and served as a freelance content and video editor. He seeks to use media to help communities flourish through literacy and factual reporting.
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