Phones are a significant factor for students failing or cheating. Whether they’re constantly checking their social media, texting their friends, or playing games while their teacher is teaching, the phone always seems to be an issue. Over the past few years, it’s been a debate throughout schools whether to ban phones entirely or just have stricter rules. While both of those ideas would be better for the education of children, would it be better for their safety?

Here at ALHS the new phone rule is implemented and it’s “the stoplight system”. Green means you can be on your phone, yellow means phones can be out only when the teacher is done talking, and red means to have your phone put away completely. “The new phone rule was an adjustment but I think the new phone rule is a good idea as long as the students are consistent with it,” said science teacher Tyler Collins. “With safety reasons, as of lately, there’s not too much of an emergency to be needed to have phones by you, as police will come and CB scanner can notify parents of any issues happening.” 

According to The Washington Post, over the past 25 years, there have been many school threatening issues and over 417 school shootings. In recent years, there has been a major issue with schools banning phones, which presents a bigger problem; not being able to contact parents or loved ones. Many students have expressed how they feel uncomfortable and unsafe in school with the new restrictions on phones and want a change to happen. 

“There were many challenges with the new phone system and having restrictions on it this year. But it’s challenging because I still have urges to go through my phone all day and check on my social media,” said Kamryn Hamiliton (‘26). “I feel like with the restrictions they have on the phones that it’s unsafe because if there were an issue I wouldn’t be able to contact my loved ones and I feel unconnected with them because of the phone bans.” 

Phones have started to become a problem at Abraham Lincoln High School, so the administration created a new phone policy. At ALHS, there haven’t been many rules or limited restrictions with phone usage with students, however, the new phone policy is a “stop light system.” In the future, they might loosen their rules and restrictions on phones. However, they possibly will only make it more strict due to low scores on state testing and overall low grades in class. 

“I feel like this year’s new phone rule and restrictions are a little bit obsessive because they tell you one strike you put it away or in the front of the classroom. And second strike they then alert administration through their walkie talkies to come and grab your phone and then parents will have to come and pick it up,” said Kalynn Boyle (‘27). “I don’t think they will loosen the rule up because the teachers are always saying the phone usage is getting worse and that we are on our phones every single class of the day and we are not doing our work or homework.”