CHICAGO, IL – Governor JB Pritzker signed into law a bell-to-bell cell phone ban last month. The new law aims to get students’ focus back on learning by fostering distraction-free classrooms, preventing cyberbullying, and limiting social media use during the school day.
A new video from the JB for Governor campaign highlights how the cell phone ban helps educators, parents, and students.
Video Transcript:
MICHELLE, High School Teacher: They are unable to stay focused for longer than a couple of seconds. It has completely changed education.
GREG, High School Teacher: They’re not learning how to talk to their- their friends and family, and it’s definitely causing them some social emotional issues when it comes to engaging in a group environment, when they’re having to do those projects and classes where they’re supposed to work together.
ALLISON, High School Librarian: Kids seem to be completely different than they were 18 years ago, and a big part of that, I think, is the cell phone, the existence of cell phones in their hands, in their pockets, all day, every day.
ANDREW, High School Teacher: The impacts on learning are just overwhelmingly negative. Oftentimes, like, an educator will have to expend just energy and capital, just negotiating the cell phone. And in a lot of cases, it’s the most contentious thing that a- that an educator and a student might engage in.
AMY, Elementary School Teacher: I think the impacts of cell phones on learning is negative, and these kids are starting to have to be older than they are. They’re not their true age, and they’re growing up faster than they need to.
NICOLE, Middle School Paraeducator: They have a lot of content that they are able to see, and I think that influences their behavior towards their peers. But I think the biggest social impact is on girls and seeing how hurtful it is.
ALLISON, High School Librarian: I have noticed that bullying has taken on a totally different shape, I guess you could say, where if you make a mistake or if you do something foolish, it’s almost guaranteed there’s someone with a camera behind you, and they’ve filmed it and sent it out to everybody they know. And there’s just not that time to be able to be a kid and be yourself.
MICHELLE, High School Teacher: There is no way that an educator, no matter how exciting their lesson is, no matter how much they put into it, no matter how enthusiastic they are, there is no way that they can compete with these apps that have been created to steal students’ attention away.
GREG, High School Teacher: I think ultimately, what kids are missing on their phones is everything else that’s happening, their relationships with their teachers, their relationships with their fellow students, and what they really ultimately learn is their relationships are through their phone.
GOV. JB PRITZKER: Students are distracted from Chicago to Carbondale, from Rockford to East St. Louis. I’m proud that Illinois is taking a major step forward by banning the use of cell phones during the school day.
ALLISON, High School Librarian: If I could say one thing to Governor Pritzker, it would be: thank you for listening.
AMY, Elementary School Teacher: Thank you to allow us that opportunity to do our job.
MICHELLE, High School Teacher: It’s going to benefit our kids, and I’m very thankful for it.
ANDREW, High School Teacher: Keep doing what you’re doing. Just keep on fighting this. I mean, it’s righteous, and it’s the way to go. Governor Pritzker’s on- on the vanguard of this, and I think keep, keep going.
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CONTACT: press@jbpritzkercampaign.com