A Necessary Evil?

Briana Ta• October 28, 2025

In wake of a state-wide ban on cell phone use in public schools across Texas, and the more recent ban in Los Angeles Unified School District, phone use in Palos Verdes schools may be heavily restricted. The discussion comes as a result of California’s recently-passed Phone-Free Schools Act, requiring public schools to formulate a plan for restricting cell phone use on campus by July 2026 (LA Times). School response to the new policy has been varied, but LAUSD has opted to enforce a total ban through the use of YONDR pouches (Edsource). Originally designed for concerts, YONDR pouches secure devices through magnetic locks, allowing students to still be able to hold their phones throughout the day without actually using them. The reasoning behind sharper regulation and bans stems from concerns that phones increase feelings of stress in students and risk jeopardizing their academic integrity. Yet the decision has caused massive backlash from both parents and students. Peninsula should not enforce a total ban on phones during school, and instead use proactive policies to teach students independence and self-regulation.

One of the principal concerns of parents is safety, particularly in light of rapidly growing school shooting incidents. This is a reasonable concern as student phone calls are often a vital way to reach law enforcement or medical services during shootings or other emergencies (The Black Wall Street Times). So, while YONDR pouches have grown in popularity among administrators, including PVPUSD, restricting access to phones would endanger students by rendering students unable to call for help in an emergency situation. Peninsula’s current policy is flexible, and ‘middle of the road’ compared to other districts. Whether students can access their phones is up to the policies of individual teachers, who have the option of confiscating devices if used without permission. More often than not, students maintain possession and access to their phones, but keep them tucked away during instructional time. At times teachers have even utilized numbered pockets for devices ensuring they cannot become distractions.

Another argument for keeping phones on campus is the fact that they have become an important part of everyday life. Due to this, the idea that phones can no longer be removed from the equation, but rather must be worked around has gained increasing recognition (NPR). Outside of school, phones are used for everything: from research, to taking photos and even doing things like accessing menus at restaurants. School is no different — assignments are posted online, forms need electronic signatures and every school event is announced on Instagram. Thus, devices have become a key component of education, and there is no feasible way to truly ‘ban’ them when devices play such a vital role in daily tasks. While it may be technically possible to transition back into physical textbooks and pen and paper exams or essays it would be extremely impractical to do so, especially after American schools embraced digital assignments and books after COVID-19. The PVPUSD’s final policy must either integrate devices into the classroom, or maintain student independence. Concerning potential regulations on phone use, freshman Joey Moakley expressed his preference for Peninsula’s current policy.

“Honestly, I kind of like it,” Moakley said. “I think that it is good [that] we are not allowed to use them in class without teachers' permission. I really enjoy how we are allowed to use them during snack and lunch, so I am able to get my clash sessions in before class.”

Despite this, it is certainly true that while phones may be used to connect, they can also be tools for isolation. To combat this, schools must reaffirm the role of conversation in our everyday lives, or it risks losing its capacity for compassion and creativity (Greater Good). Despite this, YONDR pouches are not the responsible solution. By locking up phones, schools do not allow high schoolers to make the conscious decision of putting them down or to recognize their role in modern society. Junior Evelyn Choy acknowledged the dangers of phone use, but expressed her desire for independence.

“Phones definitely take away from socializing sometimes and maybe even learning,” Choy said. “But how will we learn to manage it on our own when the school decides for us? We need independence and guidance, not more rules.”

Independence is a key part of children and teenagers’ psychological development, and is strongly linked to creating secure and well-adjusted young people (National Poll on Children’s Health). Students should learn on their own how to manage time, social situations and learning. Doing so would better prepare them for the future because in real life, in their careers and at home no one is banning the phone. There must be an individual choice to put it down.

Beyond this, independence fosters student interests while also respecting the learning environment, a key example of why Peninsula’s policy is the best of both worlds regarding phones. Micromanagement from administration would only produce negative outcomes, as teenagers are less likely to socialize when they are being forced to do so. Therefore, maintaining its middle-of-the-road approach is Peninsula’s best option for fostering a student body that is both educated and independent.

Teachers around the world are finding new innovative ways to reinvent how students learn in an age where smartphones are inescapable. Some examples include chrome books being utilized for online worksheets, interactive learning games, and online quizlets. The district should focus on supporting such creative solutions rather than suppressing the usage of phones. While phones in schools are certainly a complicated issue, the solution is not any simpler, and cannot be something as black-and-whtie as a full ban. The solution begins with students actively taking steps toward connection, instead of remaining glued to screens during school hours. Encouraging them to make that decision, instead of forcing it, is where schools should step in. Staff can lead by example through putting their own phones down. Moreover, administration can ensure engaging activities are offered, giving students an escape from their devices. The PVPUSD has the opportunity to meet the future of education head-on, and should not squander it by keeping its students in the past.