Phone policy: built to last?
Phones, once a common sight, now dwindling in school (The Puma Prensa / Logan Budlong)
By Aiden Damasco and Logan Budlong
In previous years at Maria Carrillo High School, phones were a common sight, noticed in classrooms, at lunch, and in the school bathrooms. However, after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone-Free School Act in Fall of 2024, the new phone policy at MCHS is now in full effect, and some students are wondering whether the change is actually impacting classes.
Alexander McCord, a senior at MCHS, said that because of the new phone ban implemented in his classes, he is “not on [his] phone as much, as [he is] not trying to get it taken away.” To McCord, the policy has mixed effects, with some aspects directly working against student productivity. “I work better when I am listening to my music, but due to the phone ban, it’s made it a lot harder to focus sometimes,” McCord recalled. “For the most part, music doesn’t really disrupt learning.”
Santiago Corona, also a senior, agrees with McCord. “A lot of people, including myself, prefer listening to music so we don’t get distracted easily.” In the early days of the school year, Corona observed that “a lot of people were getting their phones taken away in the first week because they weren't used to this new rule that they had to follow.” Corona expressed that “[he] thought the new policy would let students adjust and get used to it instead of jumping into it straight away.”
In spite of their frustration with the new system, both McCord and Corona have expressed their own ideas on how the policy could still be enforced, but made to be manageable for everyone. McCord believes that phone breaks would be beneficial for the students, as he “think[s] those breaks would really boost the morale of the students by giving them opportunities they currently no longer have.” Corona also shared his worries about the academic performance of his peers, as he noted that students sneaking on their phones worsens the issue, and thinks that with breaks, “people will be able to succeed more mentally and with grades and GPA.”
Despite a lack of enthusiasm for the new rule, the policy is being received well by some. “[I] focus a lot more now that the phone policy is in place,” said Jordan Wilson, a junior at MCHS. Wilson believes the “[new policy] is fair ... not overly harsh or anything.” Wilson explained that having phones in class in previous years often led to students being distracted and not paying attention to the lesson. “They’re not really participating, and they’re not doing as much work as they’re supposed to be doing.”
Despite Wilson admitting that class sometimes gets boring without his phone, he acknowledges that students have fewer distractions and that without phones, “it’s just a straight line towards your work, and you get it done faster.” However, Wilson does believe that teachers should let students use their phones if they have completed all their work, as it will increase motivation in students by giving them something to work for. “If you have something to work for, the more you’ll want it.”
Unlike many other teachers, Eric Zumwalt, a science teacher at MCHS, has long been using his own phone policy in his classroom. With two decades of experience enforcing his own policy, he has seen how it has worked well in his classroom. “I knew from day one cell phones would be a distraction,” Zumwalt said. “Before the statewide policy was enacted, students knew, or should have known, that was my policy.” Zumwalt has enthusiastically supported the school’s decision to implement the phone ban earlier than the law states, but sees it as overdue. Zumwalt claims that “there’s evidence to suggest that social media not only harms teenagers, but adults as well.”
Zumwalt has welcomed the policy to the school and hopes to continue enforcing it in his classroom and in that of his fellow teachers. “I’d like to see some consistency from all of my colleagues from bell to bell. As long as we’re consistent, it’s beneficial for everybody, both teachers and students,” Zumwalt shared. One day, Zumwalt hopes that cell phones will be banned throughout the school day, but states that “this is a good first step.”
While some students may disagree with the implementation of the phone ban, it is unlikely that the law will ever fully change. However, there is still room for improvement; as more students contribute to sharing their opinions about the new system at MCHS, more opportunities will open up for students to improve the policy by what will benefit them.