Opinion
AHS phone policy helps in classroom
By Sara Thompson
Published March 21, 2023
Trends on TikTok have affected Aitkin High school and it affects students in school. It also affects the productivity in students in the classroom.
What is TikTok? TikTok is an app that you can download onto your phone where you can create 15 second to one minute videos. There is also a “For you” page, which is where you can scroll through endless videos that people around the world post. They can range from lip syncing to informational videos. Another trend that was popular was called “Devious Licks.” This trend impacted schools nationwide, including Aitkin High School. This trend has led to students being destructive and destroying toilets, sinks, and stealing soap dispensers.
Is it true social media can actually affect your school work and productivity? The Web site Better You did a study on how scrolling through social media affected students. On average, students spend three hours scrolling on social media and it takes 23 minutes to refocus. That is an hour of lost productivity each day. This is not the only study that has been done and it has been proven many times that social media is a big distraction when it comes to kids learning.
In effort to stop the distraction some schools, including AHS, have implemented a phone policy that only allows students to use their phones in-between classes and at lunch. I believe this has improved classroom focus and participation.
Social media is entertaining and even informational but as with all influences, it can be good and bad. For the good of an education I don’t believe it belongs in the palm of students’ hands during class time.
Now obviously I know that you can never truly take away social media and students being on phones, but I think that the new phone policy has really helped. You can see a difference in the focus in classrooms and the participation.
Published March 21, 2023
Trends on TikTok have affected Aitkin High school and it affects students in school. It also affects the productivity in students in the classroom.
What is TikTok? TikTok is an app that you can download onto your phone where you can create 15 second to one minute videos. There is also a “For you” page, which is where you can scroll through endless videos that people around the world post. They can range from lip syncing to informational videos. Another trend that was popular was called “Devious Licks.” This trend impacted schools nationwide, including Aitkin High School. This trend has led to students being destructive and destroying toilets, sinks, and stealing soap dispensers.
Is it true social media can actually affect your school work and productivity? The Web site Better You did a study on how scrolling through social media affected students. On average, students spend three hours scrolling on social media and it takes 23 minutes to refocus. That is an hour of lost productivity each day. This is not the only study that has been done and it has been proven many times that social media is a big distraction when it comes to kids learning.
In effort to stop the distraction some schools, including AHS, have implemented a phone policy that only allows students to use their phones in-between classes and at lunch. I believe this has improved classroom focus and participation.
Social media is entertaining and even informational but as with all influences, it can be good and bad. For the good of an education I don’t believe it belongs in the palm of students’ hands during class time.
Now obviously I know that you can never truly take away social media and students being on phones, but I think that the new phone policy has really helped. You can see a difference in the focus in classrooms and the participation.