School Cellphone Study
Smartphones offer both benefits and risks for students’ learning and well-being. Benefits include utilizing smartphones as a learning tool and increased opportunities for social contact and support. However, smartphones can also be a source of distraction as they provide students with access to texting, games, and social media. Schools have struggled to find best practices for smartphone use. At present, smartphone policies vary between schools and school boards, ranging from a complete smartphone ban to embracing smartphone use in the classroom as a learning tool. The majority of children in middle schools receive their first smartphone. Thus, this age group represents a critical window of opportunity for teaching students self-regulation and healthy behaviours when using digital devices. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of various smartphone policies on children's smartphone usage pattern, wellbeing and development.
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