Olentangy High School has incorporated Mike Dewine’s new policy on cell phones into schools. All students are required to keep their cell phones in backpacks when they are in instructional time. This also includes a study hall, in between periods and lunches.

“I don’t like it because phones are a part of our everyday lives and I understand prohibiting phones in class rooms but for lunches and passing periods I think phones should still be allowed,” Samantha Jackson-Kuofie said.

The phone policy is controversial to the students who are asked the question. Teenagers are on their phones to either scroll on social media, communicate with friends, or play games, so when these privileges are taken away it is difficult to have to adapt to them.

“I don’t think the new phone policy is that much of a problem because I can concentrate on my school work and my phone is still with me in my backpack,” Brooke Nagy said.

Furthermore, McKnight is a guidance counselor at OHS. She has talked to different students about their view on the phone policy, and has picked up their feedback. Her opinion on the phone policy is very reasonable. She does understand why it can affect students’ learning, but at the same time she thinks it is not practical for students after high school. It takes longer than a snap of fingers to change how students function while at school every day.

“School is all about preparing you to function in the real world and in the real world there is no phone policy there to regulate yourself. I’m torn because it’s very different from what our policy used to be,” Selena McKnight said.

This new phone policy passed for many different reasons. The biggest reason why was because Dewine felt it would help increase students’ enhancement in school and instructional time. Not only this, but it is also meant as a way to help with students’ mental health. If students are able to stay off of their phone during the school day it can reduce depression and anxiety. This is because they do not see posts of images which could make the student feel hurt.

“I think it’s nice and a little refreshing for students to be off their phones and encourage them to talk to each other more and focus because I definitely think us adults live on our phones,” McKnight said.

Society today now uses technology in most of our everyday lives to help make life easier, so when it is taken away it becomes more difficult. More adults have to learn how to use technology because they either did not grow up with it or never knew how it functioned, so when teenagers are not able to adapt to the technology it will make their lives outside of school more of a challenge.

Overall, this new policy has taken a toll on the students and staff of OHS. Everybody has different views on the policy because it affects everybody in different ways. The more students will have the opportunity to adapt and grow to the policy.