The Cell Phone Policy at JW: Is it Fair? by Juno S.

“The cell phone policy has pros and cons,” said a 7th grader. “Last year, the teachers let us use our cell phones during certain times, but this year, we can’t use them at all, unless it’s in the cafeteria. The good thing is that kids can’t be toxic and take photos of embarrassing moments. I have had an experience in which someone took a photo of me in a really embarrassing moment.”

In the past, people have abused their phone privileges, which has led to the stricter phone policy. People have also been using their phones at times and places where they’re not allowed, such as when they’re in class and in the halls. Even though there is a chance that someone might be inappropriately using a phone, is banning phones from all places except for the cafeteria really the answer?

In total, 85.7% of the students at Julius West who completed the survey have a cell phone that they bring to school. In regular numbers, that’s 461 kids out of 538. That is a lot of cell phones. If that percentage were consistent, that would mean that at least 1178 out of the 1375 students at this school would have a cell phone that they own, whether they bring it to school or not.

Unfortunately, less than half of the kids in the school downright agree with the cell phone policy. That’s not a very good indication. About 56% of kids either disagree with the policy or only agree with some parts. That suggests that maybe the cell phone policy at JW has some leeway for adjustments.

Survey Question: Do you agree with the cell phone policy at Julius West?

The results of the survey are shown on the right. Blue is "Yes," Red is "No," and the other colors mean "Partially."

When the survey asked what changes the cell phone policy needs, there were a lot of differing answers. A lot of kids wanted to be able to use cell phones during free time in class, as long as they weren’t being annoying or taking photos of other people without their consent. Some other kids wished to see a warning before their phones were confiscated. There was another side of the argument, though. About 40% of kids said that they didn’t think changes to the cell phone policy were needed. Some kids had especially strong opinions about not changing the policy. One person who filled out the survey said, “I think that the cell phone policy is reasonable because when you are at school, you are here to be learning not filming TikToks.” That is a very true statement. School is for learning, but almost completely banning cell phones from the school? That doesn’t seem like an answer.

Just like some of the responses suggested, the cell phone policy at JW could include letting kids use cell phones during free time in classes, and letting kids listen to music while they do their work. As long as they aren’t looking at their phone the whole class, it would work. Doing so could have a chance to add a little bit more enthusiasm to the school day. Giving a warning would also be helpful, just in case the student wasn’t aware of the cell phone policy, or the consequences. Though students could abuse this privilege and get more warnings than allowed by administrators, it would overall have a more positive effect on the policy.

The cell phone policy definitely has some room for improvement. Improvement can lead to happiness. Happiness can lead to better performance in school, along with many other positive benefits. As shown with the results on the poll, we could use a policy that has a little bit more leeway.