A cyber safety company just gave out this list of 10 reasons why mobile phones should be allowed in schools
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It’s the big issue that’s dividing the nation right now – should Israel Folau talk, ever kids have access to mobile phones during school hours?
The Victorian government just said no, they shouldn’t. Mobile phones will be banned from state primary and secondary schools – that’s morning bell to afternoon bell – from the first term of 2020.
One one side is every parent saying “Well I didn’t have a phone during school and I turned out okay”. On the other is every sulky teenager saying “Well you didn’t have a phone during school and look how you turned out”.
There are, as always, outliers on both sides. Nerds, who want to get on with their textbook algos and real print. Helicopter parents with separation anxiety. And beaten-down teachers who really are just sick of it all and don’t care what the kids are doing, as long as they’re quiet for an hour.
We’re not here to judge; just to give you all the information you need to shore up your social media stance on it all.
But if you’re struggling to find an argument for phones in schools, cyber safety company Family Zone (ASX: FZO) is there for you. Well, you and their shareholders, because FZO specialises in managing kids’ online time in a way that keeps everyone happy.
So while it may be a little compromised, FZO actually has been working in this area for a few years, and says while it has been supportive of “out of sight” policies, it actually hasn’t seen blanket bans truly work.
“In fact, we have seen them overturned through parent protest and the bans are often and easily resisted and ignored by parents and students,” it said in a statement to the ASX this morning.
FZO laid out the “practical reality” of it all recently in a submission to a NSW study under way looking at a similar ban.
It summarised those realities in 10 points. And here they are:
There. Consider yourself armed and ready for a day of arguing online simply for the sake of arguing online.
Because, really, if you don’t want your kids to have mobile phones at school either a) don’t let them have a mobile phone, or b) don’t let them take it to school.
They (clap) will (clap) still (clap) love (clap) you.