Should Kids Have Their Phones in School?

Phones are helpful, allowing kids to communicate with family and friends. But they’re also distracting—and, in school, they create difficulties for students and teachers. According to a Common Sense Media report from 2021, about 43% of kids ages 8 to 12 own a smartphone. Should they be allowed to use their phones in school? We asked our readers to tell us what they think. They made strong points on both sides of the issue. Here are four responses. Where do you stand?

Olivia Reyes, 9

Chicago, Illinois

Children should have phones in school because they’re a great tool. Phones can be used as calendars, so kids can be reminded of important dates and homework assignments. Phones can also be used as calculators. This can be helpful in math class. With a phone, children can easily contact 911, in case of an emergency. And parents are can communicate with their children in an emergency. Most important, parents are easily able to locate their child by tracking the location of their phone. Phones can unlock many tools that kids need at school.

Max Samaniego, 9

Yuma, Arizona

Kids shouldn’t be allowed to use phones in school. Kids can do a lot of things with phones, and it can be a distraction from their work. Schools have a way to communicate with parents if there’s an emergency. Kids can go to the office if they need to call their parents. I don’t have a phone, and my mom messages my teachers or calls the office if there is anything she wants me to know. My teachers and the office also call my mom if they have to tell her anything about me, such as if I’m feeling sick or forgot something. Maybe when I’m older I’ll have a phone—but for now, I think it’s okay not to have one.

Sicheng Wang, 10

Vancouver, Canada

Although bringing a phone to school might distract you, it has advantages, too, such as providing easy communication with your parents when you’re walking to school alone. Phones are also like mini computers. They can help you find answers to your questions. But there are certainly times you should not use a phone, such as during a test or silent reading. I think teachers should be able to control the use of phones by collecting them before class and returning them when class is finished. Considering all of the above, I think having a phone at school has more benefits than not having one.

Nishika Patankar, 11

Foster City, California

I don’t think smartphones should be used at school. We are at the point where people want to text instead of talking to one another. People say that we could use phones for emergencies. But if that’s the case, we could just use flip phones to contact our parents or guardians. If phones weren’t this popular, we humans would be a lot more social. To me, smartphones are to be used for entertainment. I’ve seen kids take things too far: Sometimes, kids will just go on their phone to look up answers. Phones are getting in the way of school, which isn’t good for us.

The Next Debate: Should school start later in the day? Email your opinion to tfkeditors@time.com by April 1. Your response might be featured in an upcoming issue.

*Submissions have been edited only for length and clarity. They are not intended to reflect the views of TIME for Kids. Ages are accurate as of the time of submission.