Cell phone use policy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I spoke to a friend whose son is in middle school in VA (public) and she told me her son reported that the kids don't actually talk at lunchtime because they're all on their phones. That is very alarming to me

Why?

I was at my son's BTSN last year (HS Senior) and in two of his classes - AP English and Honors Leadership/Communication - both teachers addressed the plummeting decline in our children's ability to verbally communicate and write expansively. They were both teachers with 20+ years of experience and said what they are seeing has become a critical problem in the past few years and they directly blamed it on the "texting/twitter/FB" culture that exists. It was an issue they were having to address in their classrooms in the form of remediation. So, OP, you are right to have concerns.

Those two teachers have limited experience. "write expansively?" More like not getting to the point. Studies have shown that the texting culture increases communication. And the more we communicate electronically the more we want to get together with the people we're communication with. Never fear. When electricity was introduced people were scared of that too.

[Anonymous]

PP, You are kidding yourself that texting culture increases communication. There has been extensive research on the adverse impact of digital devices on ability to communicate, empathize, converse, etc., both among children and adults. See http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/reclaiming-conversation-sherry-turkle/409273/

[Anonymous]

I have a DC in FCPS HS and they text all the time during class. I hate it. There are a few teachers who prohibit it and I cannot fathom why they don't all.

There is no device usage in my other DC's private (middle school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think the policies would continue to evolve in the coming years so I don't think I would pick a school based on this.

I agree. OP - the culture is evolving so fast on these issues that by the time your kids are in late elementary school kids will be on to other problimatic behaviors that are not on our radar screens yet.