Adults and educators often believe that the root cause of inattention and low grades in students is their phones. This may be true to an extent, but they only see one side. In reality, phones are both helpful and harmful. In dire situations, such as a school shooting, a phone can serve as a last line of communication. An immediately accessible emergency contact, or a way to warn loved ones. These occurrences are unfortunately growing more common. Locking up a student’s phone can generate anxiety, bringing about a lack of security. Phones have become so deeply integrated into our everyday lives that taking them away could severely impact a student’s academic performance. Their thoughts may revolve around the loss of such an essential item, making an individual less able to focus. Resentment may fester in those afflicted, creating a larger drive to misbehave for the sake of rebellion.

Perhaps a more reasonable cause for tardiness in students stems from the brief time provided during passing periods. If you walk at a steady pace and barely make it before the bell, then it is clear that not enough time is dedicated to the in-between. It isn’t easy to fit a bathroom break into this short window. That is why many enter the classroom first and inform the teacher, knowing full well that the bell will ring before they return. The new policy is a band-aid fix for a wound broader than it can cover.