Blog

Back to All Posts
December 5, 2024

What the growing cell phone bans in Canada can teach us about amplifying student voices and striking a balance between cell phone use and tech 

As the 2024-2025 school year kicks off, students across Canada are adjusting to new cell phone bans in their classrooms. These policies, adopted by multiple provinces, aim to help students focus, minimize distractions, and encourage positive social media use. Canada isn’t alone — several U.S. states are also limiting cell phone access to boost student engagement.

The conversation around cell phone bans brings mixed perspectives from students, families, and educators. While 78% of Canadian parents support some form of regulation, some education experts argue that there isn’t enough research to back these restrictions. And regulations vary: Quebec has a complete ban in schools, while Newfoundland and Labrador limit phoneuse for K-6 students only.

In Ontario, some teachers express concerns over vague guidelines, while others in Saskatchewan worry bans might disadvantage students in low-tech classrooms. Schools are testing different approaches to support these policies, from “phone hotels” to flexible rules that consider students’ needs. As we look at these changes, it’s important to understand students’ reactions and how their voices can shape tech use in their schools. 

Why listening to student voices amidst the cell phone ban is important 

Listening to student voices is essential in analyzing cell phone bans because students are directly impacted by these policies in unique ways, like contacting their family in an emergency or keeping in touch with their friends. Including students in conversations about school policies has been proven to increase academic performance and build positive student perceptions of their schools. 

When students share insights on cell phone restrictions, they highlight challenges like technology access, social-emotional needs, and learning preferences, revealing how bans can support or hinder their academic and social growth. Through huddling with students, educators can learn what approaches might work best in maintaining focus without completely removing devices from their learning environment. Huddling with students is an important tool for educators, with or without cellphone bans. It builds trust between students and their teachers and allows students to effectively communicate their learning needs. It also allows educators to empower students to navigate tech responsibly and build healthy habits on and offline.

How students are responding to cellphone bans 

According to a CBS report, Isaal Ali, a grade 12 student in Canada, says that many students are just being more careful about where they hide their cell phones. They hide them in desks, coats, or other places away from teachers. It’s important to note that restrictions are placed with a higher emphasis on younger students since older students tend to understand the importance of paying attention in class. Liam Sache, a grade 9 student in Canada, says he’s not sure if he agrees with the severity of the restrictions on cell phone use. However, he has observed an increase in productivity in his classes. 

Many schools are extending their focus beyond cell phone bans to reduce time spent on cell phones during instructional time. Some districts are limiting or outright blocking access to specific social media sites, like Instagram and Snapchat, on school networks. This move is intended to curb off-task behavior while also reducing the mental health impact that social media can have on students.

In other schools, administrators are introducing “phone hotels” or dedicated pouches where students can securely store their phones during lessons. These measures give schools more flexibility in enforcing policies while still allowing students to access their phones during lunch or after class. 

At The Social Institute, we believe in empowering students to make positive choices around technology, rather than simply imposing restrictions. By huddling with students about cell phone policies, schools encourage student-led solutions to classroom distractions, allowing them to actively shape their learning environment. This approach not only fosters student agency but also reinforces The Social Institute’s commitment to equipping students with modern life skills, like navigating tech responsibly and building healthy social media habits that are relevant beyond the classroom. By involving students in the conversation, we help them build a balanced, responsible relationship with technology in and out of the classroom. 

TSI Take 

At The Social Institute, we empower students to navigate technology and social media in healthy ways by supporting schools in balancing the benefits and challenges of modern life skills education and building healthy online habits—even when phones are not allowed in the classroom. While cell phone bans can help minimize distractions and support mental health, we recognize that students must also learn to navigate technology in healthy ways, because while cell phones might not be allowed in the classroom, phones and social media aren’t going away anytime soon. Our peer-to-peer learning platform and positive approach to tech and social media education, #WinAtSocial, focuses on collaborating with students to empower them to navigate technology thoughtfully. 

Here are some resources to help you understand more about Canada’s cell phone bans and how cell phone bans are progressing in North America:

Curious about how The Social Institute can help your students navigate cell phone bans and build key modern life skills in social media and tech? Check out our #WinAtSocial Lesson Exploring the impact of stricter cell phone bans in schools, where students can discover the impact of cell phone bans and how to strike a balance between their cell phones and their school work. 

The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.