Opinion | Should phones be banned in class?
In light of the recently passed California bill that will restrict cell phone usage in high schools, let’s see how Chapman students feel about their own screen time.
To this day, I hate going on my phone in class. Whether it is lingering effects from high school or my constant need to have professors like me, my mindset has always been: I can send texts from my laptop if I need to (or I am extremely bored) and I would never want a teacher to be disrespected by my screentime. However, this is definitely not the norm for Chapman University students.
On Sept. 23, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act. The law requires schools to develop and put in place a plan to restrict or even ban cellphone usage in schools by July 1, 2026, and to update it every five years.
Reasonings behind this legislation are to minimize distractions, improve mental health of teens and reduce cyberbullying. It specifies that educators must allow phones to be used in emergencies or in response to a perceived threat.
While it’s unlikely that many schools will fully confiscate phones during school hours, this legislation makes it possible. The law has raised parental concerns over their child’s ability to communicate in case of an immediate crisis.
Reading this legislation sparked the question: How would Chapman University students fare under stricter phone regulations?
Most Chapman students claim they on average spend four to seven hours on their phone a day. That seemingly leaves many hours in the day for courses and everything else and yet, a majority say they are on their phones in class.
Let’s see what students have to say:
“I don’t go on my phone really, mine’s actually always on DND (Do Not Disturb) when I’m in class. I always think, we are here paying for this education, if people want to be on their phones, it seems dumb but that’s not my business.”
“I’m on my phone only in classes I care less about, I know that sounds bad. Sometimes the content — I just know I’m gonna have to teach myself later, but it’s okay. I guess it’s just my version of tuning out, which is also bad.”
“I technically won’t be on my phone, but I’ll spend an entire class texting on my laptop. It’s usually not anything fun, I just have a lot of other things going on and a lot need immediate attention from me, it doesn’t matter if I’m in class or not.”
In general, students support the lax rules on phone use in class, regardless of whether they are the ones using their phones. With the new California legislation, high school administrators everywhere will need to navigate this dilemma, but at Chapman University, students prefer to choose between study and screen time — and they like it that way.
Care’s Corner is the weekly advice and opinions column of The Panther. Opinions Editor, Caroline Linton, dives into relevant Chapman and college life topics that are on the minds of real university students. All student quotes in Care’s Corner are kept anonymous, with grade level and major provided, in order to garner the most genuine answers possible in the case of sensitive or controversial subjects. You can submit questions for advice, college confessionals and any issues you would want to see in Care’s Corner here.
