When American comedian Kevin Hart pre-launched his current world tour “Acting My Age” at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at the end of June, patrons were warned that there would be no cellphones allowed. Many assumed that meant they would have to turn off their phones, but Mr Hart’s production team chose not to leave that up to them. As they were scanned prior to entering the venue, the attendees were required to mute their phones and place them in separate magnetic pouches made of heavy canvas material. Ushers then locked the pouches and while they remained with the patrons, they could only be opened with the use of magnetic devices which remained outside of the venue. For the next two hours, the Prudential Center was a phone-free zone. The estimated 19,000 attendees were able to enjoy the show in the moment, rather than attempt to capture photos, video and audio on their phones.
The lockable magnetic pouch, patented with the name Yondr by former US soccer player Greg Dugoni, had been in use for quite a while before that, but mostly at shows and concerts as artists sought to protect their content. Its reach subsequently extended to schools, because as Mr Dugoni likely already knew, parents shy away from policing their offsprings’ cell phone usage, transferring yet another responsibility to their teachers. According to NBC News, by the end of last year, US schools seeking to prevent the use of smartphones in class, had spent some US$2.5 million on Yondr pouches. There is every likelihood of an increase in similar sales this year. Even though at present there are only 11 states which have enacted laws restricting smartphone use in schools, some educational institutions and district boards are moving to prohibit them rather than wait for the state.
In August last year, the United Nations’ education, science and cultural agency UNESCO issued a wide-ranging report which noted that even being near a smartphone caused students to be distracted and negatively affected their academic performance. UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report recommended a global ban on smartphones in schools, citing studies and statistics which showed not only a negative link between excessive technology use and poor student performance, but how countries that had already actively banned smartphones had seen improved learning outcomes.
Among the countries with bans in place are China, France, Australia, Russia, Sweden, England, France, Finland, Israel, Greece, Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda, parts of Canada and parts of the US. The severity of the restrictions vary. In some countries, only smartphones are banned and students are allowed to carry phones that do not have screens or apps. In other countries, the ban is absolute – no devices whatsoever.
It has to be noted here that this is not a move to restrict technology as such. In many instances where bans exist schools have computers or students work on tablets that only have educational apps loaded onto them. While it is recognised that all work and no play makes Jack and Jill very dull indeed, the preference is for play periods to be taken outside in the school yard or in a gym where students can become involved in some sort of physical activity. As UNESCO stated in its report, “We need to teach children to live both with and without technology; to take what they need from the abundance of information, but to ignore what is not necessary; to let technology support, but never supplant human interactions in teaching and learning.”
During the lockdowns that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a lot of focus on distance learning. Computers, tablets and smartphones became part and parcel of children’s education. Those without access to these devices, the internet, and electricity suffered immense learning loss. However, even the children who successfully transitioned to online learning had similar experiences.
Unfortunately, in many cases the students who spent a lot of time online during the lockdown did not reduce their screen time when schools reopened. In fact, many who might not have done so before began taking their devices to school with them. In some instances, teachers appear to have accepted this as a fait accompli. Here in Guyana, there are educators contributing to what is a burgeoning problem today by interacting with students on smartphones and even sending homework via WhatsApp groups. While that is a strategy that worked well during the lockdown, a return to normalcy, as it has been called, should have seen a return to human interaction. With all of the technology available, it is still the best way to teach children and for them to learn.
It is important to differentiate between teaching children technology and technology teaching children. Too much emphasis on the latter has led to abysmal exam scores. Moderation is key. Furthermore, there is a need for governments to pay heed to the advances in artificial intelligence and its ready accessibility, which can be dangerous to children’s education. The truth is that smartphones have no place in schools. They are unnecessary appendages that do more harm than good. The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education should act on securing the rules already in place, which seem to be slipping, before the growing problem that is smartphone use in schools becomes too huge to control.
