Victorian government bans school kids from using mobile phones

[NaturalDisaster]

You don't need it, but it can certainly be beneficial. It's a calculator, a note taker and an encyclopedia all in one. And they're going to be using it at university and in the workplace for the next 50 years of their life. Instead of banning it, why not teach the kids how to harness it?


Yeah but they don't confiscate them at the door. They trust that people can be responsible and won't act like little children. And if someone breaks the rules they get kicked out. Why should a classroom full of 17/18 year olds be any different?

Most VCE kids want to do the best work they can because it's going to affect their future. Treating them like babies isn't going to breed much mutual respect between teacher and student. Of course kids watching the NBA finals instead of working isn't great, but why not treat the phone as a reward? Do 45 minutes of solid classwork and then you can have the last 5-10 minutes of the class to goof off on your phones.

Surely this isn't even any different from the workplace? Would you rather work for a company that blocks your access to BigFooty and Facebook during working hours, or one that lets you have a bit of free reign so long as you complete your work?


But the whole point of the rule is to benefit the kids. If they are going to rebel against it then what is the point? Teachers already have the power to ban phones from their classrooms. I think the cyberbullying thing is a bit of a stretch too. It's not like kids aren't going to do that **** on Facebook at 8 at night.

Another thing is, let the kids use it at lunch and morning tea breaks ffs. It might be different now, but when I was at school, you couldn’t even use your phone during breaks.

If they let kids do that they might be less inclined to use them during class.

 

[Scotland]

You don't need it, but it can certainly be beneficial. It's a calculator, a note taker and an encyclopedia all in one. And they're going to be using it at university and in the workplace for the next 50 years of their life. Instead of banning it, why not teach the kids how to harness it?

Kids already have computers in classrooms. And books. And a teacher. Ever used an iPad on a Qantas/Jetstar flight? Give a kid an iPhone equivalent of that (i.e. you can use it for a calculator, notepad etc. but all the fun apps aren't there) and watch them suddenly lose interest in having it. Your average 17 year old knows how to 'harness' an iPhone better than a 45 year old geography teacher named Bruce anyway.

Yeah but they don't confiscate them at the door. They trust that people can be responsible and won't act like little children. And if someone breaks the rules they get kicked out. Why should a classroom full of 17/18 year olds be any different?

Most VCE kids want to do the best work they can because it's going to affect their future. Treating them like babies isn't going to breed much mutual respect between teacher and student.

And yet here you are demonstrating that at least some VCE kids can't be responsible and do act like children.

Maybe most VCE kids are hard working and looking toward their future (not my experience from WA 18 years ago) but many don't and teachers end up dedicating a big chunk of their time to dealing with the latter. High school teachers don't tailor lessons to the individual needs and wants of every child. That's not how it works and also not feasible. Schools already have 'no phones in class' policies and warning kids, taking phones off them, dealing with arguments, dealing with thickshit parents who you think it's a personal affront that you won't let their precious Jayden play on his phone during class etc. already takes up time that could be spent, I don't know, teaching kids stuff. It sucks that you need to cater to the lowest common denominator but that's life.

Surely this isn't even any different from the workplace? Would you rather work for a company that blocks your access to BigFooty and Facebook during working hours, or one that lets you have a bit of free reign so long as you complete your work?

But the whole point of the rule is to benefit the kids. If they are going to rebel against it then what is the point? Teachers already have the power to ban phones from their classrooms.

As above.

As for internet policies of work places, each to their own. I've worked previously at a company that blocked Facebook, this one does not. Everyone signs onto the policy of the day. Not really relevant to a classroom environment because I'm not on BigFooty while someone is standing in front of the room trying to teach me about trigonometry. You reckon if I went into a meeting with a client and sat on my phone/laptop browsing BigFooty that would fly? 'Sorry I'll be with you in a minute, there's a real zinger in the things you don't understand thread'. No. If kids want to play on their phones at home while "studying" that's their time, let them. If parents put a stop to that then bad luck. Should kids have free rein to be on their phones and WiFi (presumably paid for by parents) any time they like at home? Or do parents have the right to say 'It's dinner time. Put the phone away. You can have the WiFi back on after you've taken the bins out and done your homework'? Or is that reportable to child services these days?

 

[Scotland]

be easier just taking them off them when they get there and handing them back when they leave I would have thought

plenty of place I have to go to that do that, make you power down and leave it in a lock box while you are there

IIRC those were the two options. Leave it at the door or if you needed it during the day you had to have it restricted.

Seemed strict but it was a part of the business where they actually have valuable IP they don't want people pinching.

 

[Run n Spread]

I'm personally horrified by the amount of screen time kids have at school and home. Using ipads at school under the guise of "technology training" is absurd.

Ban phones and ban all technology other than 30 minutes a day.......including at home.

Will you be personally limiting yourself to 30?

Otherwise a bit overkill but it really is an issue amoung the young. They have simply grown up with screens and technology and don't know the difference. In fact social media has changed the way we interact massively. Main thing I gather was social media bullying was the culprit.

So I really don't know. Surely you can go 6 hours without a phone and just check it in breaks?

 

[Jobe Watson]

Kids already have computers in classrooms. And books. And a teacher. Ever used an iPad on a Qantas/Jetstar flight? Give a kid an iPhone equivalent of that (i.e. you can use it for a calculator, notepad etc. but all the fun apps aren't there) and watch them suddenly lose interest in having it. Your average 17 year old knows how to 'harness' an iPhone better than a 45 year old geography teacher named Bruce anyway.

Yeah, kids know how to take selfies and communicate in emojis. Do they know how to use Google Docs to collaborate on projects? Because when I was at university a few years ago there were plenty of students who didn't.

And yet here you are demonstrating that at least some VCE kids can't be responsible and do act like children.

Maybe most VCE kids are hard working and looking toward their future (not my experience from WA 18 years ago) but many don't and teachers end up dedicating a big chunk of their time to dealing with the latter. High school teachers don't tailor lessons to the individual needs and wants of every child. That's not how it works and also not feasible. Schools already have 'no phones in class' policies and warning kids, taking phones off them, dealing with arguments, dealing with thickshit parents who you think it's a personal affront that you won't let their precious Jayden play on his phone during class etc. already takes up time that could be spent, I don't know, teaching kids stuff. It sucks that you need to cater to the lowest common denominator but that's life.

VCE kids are there on their own time. If they want to goof off and get s**t grades then that's on them. And if they are disrupting the class then teachers have the right to kick them out and ban phones. We don't need government interference and a blanket rule. There's a reason they cancelled this type of policy in New York... it's not enforceable.

You reckon if I went into a meeting with a client and sat on my phone/laptop browsing BigFooty that would fly?

Of course not. It's disrespectful. But the government isn't trying to take away your access to your phone during meetings because they think you can't be trusted.

 

[biggiemediums]

This is an over-reaction. This is irresponsible. I have a child who suffers from extreme anxiety and her mobile phone is her safety blanket. I text with him throughout the day with different emoji's and gifs in order to keep her feeling good about himself. If she has to leave her phone in a cold, steel and dark place every day well then that it where his heart will also live.

Shame on you Daniel Andrews.

Poor English, lie or piss-take?? Either way, very entertainment post. Also; perhaps your (possibly fake,) child has anxiety due to living on a phone?

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Honestly, the collapse is more enjoyable than I would have expected. This thread is yet more evidence.

People are so addicted to their smartphones that they will argue children should have access to them during class.

Lol.

Imagine going back twenty five years and arguing that kids should be allowed to bring their gameboys into class.

And that if the kids want to play gameboy instead of doing maths equations, its the teachers fault.

And that they will be playing gameboy for the next fifty years so why not let them play in class.

The attention span of the average 18yo right now is already puss. Just wait til the kids who were born post iPhone reach 'adulthood'.

This is going to be epic.

 

[Run n Spread]

Honestly, the collapse is more enjoyable than I would have expected. This thread is yet more evidence.

People are so addicted to their smartphones that they will argue children should have access to them during class.

Lol.

Imagine going back twenty five years and arguing that kids should be allowed to bring their gameboys into class.

And that if the kids want to play gameboy instead of doing maths equations, its the teachers fault.

And that they will be playing gameboy for the next fifty years so why not let them play in class.

The attention span of the average 18yo right now is already puss. Just wait til the kids who were born post iPhone reach 'adulthood'.

This is going to be epic.

Ain't just kids who have a short attention span. Most people have the memories of gold fish anyway.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Honestly, the collapse is more enjoyable than I would have expected. This thread is yet more evidence.

People are so addicted to their smartphones that they will argue children should have access to them during class.

Lol.

Imagine going back twenty five years and arguing that kids should be allowed to bring their gameboys into class.

And that if the kids want to play gameboy instead of doing maths equations, its the teachers fault.

And that they will be playing gameboy for the next fifty years so why not let them play in class.

The attention span of the average 18yo right now is already puss. Just wait til the kids who were born post iPhone reach 'adulthood'.

This is going to be epic.

Lol

Similar things have been said about youth for centuries, they’ll be fine.

Kids have always had distractions, they’ve always grown up and got through it despite their elders telling them they would struggle.

 

[Scotland]

You could program Tetris into a Hewlett Packard graphics calculator. As soon as a teacher saw you holding a graphics calculator with two hands for more than about 4 seconds (even more of a give away that it wasn't a maths lesson) they knew what you were up to.

'I need my smart phone miss I'm taking notes'. LOL, here's a 20c A4 notepad and a pencil. Knock yourself out. It looks like the app icon so you should be able to figure out how it works.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Maybe they’ll grow to be better at multi tasking?

 

[perthblue]

Yeah but at least the government isn't mandating that you can't use your phone for a cheeky office bathroom w*nk during your lunch break.

I haven't been at high school for a few years now, but I know that back then if I had a teacher that I actually liked or respected, or I was being taught something that was genuinely interesting or useful, then I didn't really have an inclination to be on my phone for longer than 5 seconds at a time. It was usually when you had a class with an arsehole teacher or someone who didn't know how to control the room that you'd have the tendency to slack off and not do your best work. I don't think treating VCE kids like irresponsible children is really going to work.

So even in a class you found interesting and engaging, you still couldn't help but check your phone?

Phone addiction is a real issue and ends up with poor concentration and attention span, shallow thinking, and social disengagement.

Schools already have computers/laptops/tablets to teach kids how to research, find sources, put together projects, and learn about cyber safety. With the added bonus of them not being able to go on snapchat or stream game 6 of the NBA finals when they get bored.

 

[perthblue]

Lol

Similar things have been said about youth for centuries, they’ll be fine.

Kids have always had distractions, they’ve always grown up and got through it despite their elders telling them they would struggle.

Rubbish. We are already seeing negative effects of screen addiction in adults, just wait til we see the smartphone generation all grown up.

 

[Jobe Watson]

So even in a class you found interesting and engaging, you still couldn't help but check your phone?

Sure, why not? A quick look to see what the time is or check if I have any new notifications. No harm done.

But I suppose when you're in your uni lectures you don't look away from the slides for even a second?

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Similar things have been said about youth for centuries, they’ll be fine.

You are repeating a myth.

It is based on the idea that Plato / Socrates allegedly said the youth of his day was lazy etc.

But the people who repeat the story have never taken the time to look into it.

And even if a guy 2,000 years ago criticised the youth of his time, they didn't have smartphones back then.

Or rising rates of ADD, 'anxiety', and depression.

 

[Scotland]

Lol

Similar things have been said about youth for centuries, they’ll be fine.

Kids have always had distractions, they’ve always grown up and got through it despite their elders telling them they would struggle.

Kids are so hopeless these days that people in their 20s and 30s see it.

I had a mate in primary/high school who was pretty hopeless. Didn't want to be there, easily distracted, loved being a class clown and not particularly academic. Would've played Sega Mega Drive all day if he was able to do so on a pocket sized device like you can now. Ended up doing a trade and now runs a successful small business. Probably a good thing he was pushed into actually doing something instead of left to a screen.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Sure, why not? A quick look to see what the time is or check if I have any new notifications.

Straight up addiction.

And most of us are guilty of it. I know I am.

 

[Scotland]

Sure, why not? A quick look to see what the time is or check if I have any new notifications. No harm done.

But I suppose when you're in your uni lectures you don't look away from the slides for even a second?

Did they remove clocks from classrooms some time after 2001?

 

[Run n Spread]

Rubbish. We are already seeing negative effects of screen addiction in adults, just wait til we see the smartphone generation all grown up.

Too true. But how do you put the genie back in the bottle? If anything this is addressing the symptom rather than the cause. People are addicted to their phones and social media because they are obviously receiving validation they are not getting in real life. Or have an outlet they do not get in real life.

There is something very wrong with how we are currently living and all the rules, distractions and opinions won't resolve it unless what the real problems are are tackled somehow.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

You are repeating a myth.

It is based on the idea that Plato / Socrates allegedly said the youth of his day was lazy etc.

But the people who repeat the story have never taken the time to look into it.

And even if a guy 2,000 years ago criticised the youth of his time, they didn't have smartphones back then.

Or rising rates of ADD, 'anxiety', and depression.

Doesn’t matter, they found something to complain about.

Chess was once viewed on the same level as smartphones, games etc now.. A mindless distraction for youth that’ll ruin them. Now it’s seen as an intellectually stimulating board game.

Not saying smartphone and social media will be viewed as at the same level as a chess game is now nor am I comparing them, I’m just saying that it won’t turn out near as bad as people think.

 

[Run n Spread]

Straight up addiction.

And most of us are guilty of it. I know I am.

You can be addicted to anything. Not all addictions are bad. This thou is something else people are seeking refuge for whatever reason and it is a shocking indictment on how we currently live.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Schools already have computers/laptops/tablets to teach kids how to research, find sources, put together projects, and learn about cyber safety. With the added bonus of them not being able to go on snapchat or stream game 6 of the NBA finals when they get bored.

Yeah, giving them computers but taking away their phones. That'll stop 'em from slacking off.

Really says a lot that people think teachers these days are so inept that they need help from the state government to control their classrooms.

Honestly, the collapse is more enjoyable than I would have expected. This thread is yet more evidence.

People are so addicted to their smartphones that they will argue children should have access to them during class.

It isn't just a classroom ban though is it? Lunch and morning break too. Kinda draconian.

 

[perthblue]

Sure, why not? A quick look to see what the time is or check if I have any new notifications. No harm done.

But I suppose when you're in your uni lectures you don't look away from the slides for even a second?

Every classroom I've been in has had a clock.

As to your second part, no, I am also guilty of getting distracted by my phone at the wrong time.

Using your phone is not a human right. I completely understand schools and workplaces that try to discourage it as much as possible.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Chess was once viewed on the same level as smartphones, games etc now..

No it wasn't. Where do you people get this stuff?

 

[NaturalDisaster]

No it wasn't. Where do you people get this stuff?

I've read it somewhere.

It might be wrong, but how would we know if we didn't live during that time?