A Missouri High School Bans Students Cell Phones. Should Sedalia Follow?

It has been a long time since I was in high school.  We didn't have cell phones then, there was no social media, and if you got in a fight, people would break it up, instead of filming it.  Most high school kids these days probably cannot function without their phones, and checking their Facebook feeds, sending messages through Snapchat, and making Tik-Tok videos.  Well, one high school in Missouri is going to see if kids can do without their phones.

Starting Monday, students at a high school in central Missouri will be required to leave cell phones and smart watches at home or check them into the office until dismissal.  That would be Steelville High School in Rolla.  This rule is being implemented by Principal Steven Vetter.  You can get more info by clicking HERE.

The main reasons given for this ban are as follows:

• Students taking videos and pictures of other students in the bathroom and posting on social media
• Students making audio recordings of test reviews and listening to them while taking a test
• Students using phones while in locker rooms
• Pictures being taken of other students in the classroom without permission and posted to social media
• Making videos and posting on Tik-Tok
• Large amounts of conflicts that begin on social media or through text messages

Now I am not anti-technology by any means.  Certainly there are reasons why kids in high schools should have them, especially if they are driving, or need to call home to be picked up by their parents.  Cyber bullying has become more common so I can see this as an attempt to cut down on that.  I wonder if any high school (Smith Cotton in Sedalia) here in West Central Missouri will consider this.  Do you think there will be a large backlash over this? Do you think your kids could go without their phones for a school day?  Feel free to share your thoughts.