Should cellphones be banned in Wake County schools? Some parents and students weigh in

Gianna Park just moved to Cary as a cellphone debate is unfolding in Wake County.

"I think it's the student's responsibility," Park said.

She said at her high school in Virginia, she was allowed to have a cellphone in class. But that could change for her if the idea to ban cell phones in Wake County schools gets traction.

The school board currently doesn't have a district-wide policy on cell phones, but a group of parents asked the board on Tuesday to consider banning cellphones in schools across the district.

"I think we have good reason to believe it's not good for the mental health of students," Dr. Brewer Eberly said. "Even if social media was neutral, it's clear that phones are not going to support a student's focus in an academic setting."

Eberly, who's a parent and a family doctor, said one of the biggest concerns he has about cellphone use is its impact on attention span and mental health.

"Cellphones are not going to support a student's attention," Eberly said. "I worry about just pure focus for academics, but then I also think there's a richer argument here about the ability to make friends and attend to your neighbor."

Other parents say having a cellphone is good for children to have to contact their parents in case of an emergency.

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"If something were to happen in school, I guess they should be allowed to have it," Thomas Barnhart said. "But it should be heavily regulated. So that way they're not just texting all day when they should be paying attention."

Individual Wake County schools can determine their own cellphone policy and enforcement, but Park hopes it's not as strict, as social media is seen as a resource for her to make new friends in a new town.

"Everyone gets connected through social media, and I won't know anyone when I go to school," Park said. "I'll have to connect through social media. So, I think that's a benefit."

The Wake County Board of Education has not made any decision on a potential ban, but Wake School Board chair Chris Heagarty has expressed support for limiting cellphone use in schools.

"I think the clear compromise that everyone should be able to support was that you don't use your phone while you should be paying attention in class," Heagarty said.

According to Heagarty, this is a topic he said he expects to discuss this fall.

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