Banning mobile phones from classrooms-An opportunity to advance understandings of technology addiction, distraction and cyberbullying

There is now an emerging worldwide trend for mobile phones being banned from classrooms and schools. While some academics working in the area of educational technology have raised concerns, many others have so far failed to respond to what is a significant shift in the ongoing development of digital education. The paper considers how academic researchers and other educational technology stakeholders can respond to what might be perceived as the curtailment of some forms of digital education. In particular, the paper argues that this current turn away from digital devices offers an opportunity to advance understandings about a number of seemingly problematic issues regarding the continued use of digital technologies in schools. In particular, the paper reconsiders five such areas of concern that are associated with banning phones from school: (1) technology addition; (2) digital distraction; (3) cyberbullying; (4) surveillance capitalism; and (5) environmental sustainability of digital education.

Automated summary

There is a global trend of banning mobile phones from classrooms and schools, prompting academics and educational technology stakeholders to reconsider the potential benefits and problems associated with digital education. Banning phones offers an opportunity to delve into issues such as technology addiction, digital distraction, cyberbullying, surveillance capitalism, and environmental sustainability in digital education.