Community Reactions to Proposed Cellphone Ban in Schools

People in Windsor have mixed feelings about Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra’s announcement regarding a potential ban on cellphones and social media in schools.

Calandra, who spoke at a news conference in southwestern Ontario on Tuesday, stated that most education ministers across the country agree that allowing students access to phones and social media during school isn’t beneficial.

Glenn Bernardo, a mother of a Grade 9 student, mentioned that her daughter takes her cellphone to school but keeps it locked away in her locker during classes.

Bernardo feels that enforcing the ban would be positive.

“Using the cellphone, that can distract them from learning,” she told CBC Windsor. “When I was at school before, we [didn’t] have all these gadgets.”

Landon Gerard, a Grade 11 student, also supports the idea of a ban.

“Honestly, I think that’s good. There’s no need for it. I don’t use it as much as other people do, but I only use it for doom scrolling,” he said.

“But I do believe that you don’t need it. What is the point of it? Sure, you want to make memories with your friends, but I just don’t see the point.”

Another student, Ali Ghali, 17 years old, carries his cellphone to school but thinks a ban would be “fair.”

“I think it’s still appropriate that they can use it between classes and after school or at lunch as well … but I think in class it shouldn’t be as appropriate,” he said.

‘If you’re in danger, you need it’

Crystal Zhao, a Grade 9 student, mentioned that while she finds a social media ban “understandable,” she opposes completely banning cellphones.

“If you’re in danger, you need it; otherwise you can’t communicate with your parents and your loved ones that you’re in danger,” she said.

Calandra noted that the province will collaborate closely with the federal government on implementing a social media restriction for kids under certain ages.

“I think the evidence is becoming more and more clear that cellphone use in our schools-elementary and secondary-anywhere on site has become a problem,” Calandra stated.

He also expressed interest in establishing an almost total ban on cellphones at school with some medical exceptions while indicating he wants Ontario’s regulations to exceed those announced by provinces like Manitoba.

Recently, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s government declared plans to prohibit children from using social media accounts and artificial intelligence chatbots starting within classrooms.

‘We need to think really carefully’

The director of research for Media Smarts-a national non-profit charitable organization aimed at helping Canadians build digital skills confidently-argues bans aren’t always the solution we need.

“What research is showing about bans is that they’re not necessarily the simple or straightforward tool that we need them to be,” Kara Brisson-Boivin told CBC Windsor.

“I think we need to think really carefully and consider potential backfire effects; this is what we’re seeing early on in Australia-that young people are finding ways around these restrictions and being pushed into less safe online spaces.”

“And when young people feel like they’re circumventing rules they might be less likely to turn to adults for help; so we should consider how this could damage trust between youth and adults they usually reach out to for support,” she added.

This past December Australia became the first nation to enforce age limits on social media accounts alongside fines for non-compliant companies.

A number of other countries across Europe and Asia have since followed suit.


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