Students react to the new phone policy

By Yessica S.

Many students said they disliked the new phone ban implemented by LAUSD.

For one student the reason he dislikes the phone ban is because of safety. Jimmy R., 11th grader, said, “Because I feel like we live in the hood you know?…school shootings, gun violence, is a big thing around here.”

It also affects him personally. Jimmy added that without his phone, he feels “depressed.”

However, he did say that the phone ban has had some positive effects. He said, “More people are doing their work, I’ll give it to you.”

Ninth grader Robert R. said he also doesn’t feel safe without his phone but for a different reason than Jimmy. 

“Right now what’s going on because of the president, ICE and getting people deported, I feel like it’s not good because the school said if we get information, if our parents get deported or any family member we should report it right away,” he said. “But how will we report it if we don’t have the information while it’s happening outside of the school?”

Like Jimmy, he has noticed some changes with the phone ban. “I see multiple changes. More people are talking together,” he said.

But it hasn’t been easy for him. “I noticed that I’m very addicted to my phone every time I try to check the time but I don’t feel my phone in my pocket,” he explained.

Tenth grader Destiny Ray feels that the phone ban was not a great idea because she feels it’s more of a punishment system.

She shared that, “once you take away like a stimuli, it becomes more like a withdrawal, [students have] more withdrawal symptoms.”

She added that the school isn’t doing enough to make things better for students. “Not only that…you’re not doing anything to like, ‘okay we’re gonna do this and then we’re gonna do this to counteract that.’ You’re just taking it away as a punishment and it’s not very healthy to other students,” she said.