Although people have already stated their opinions on how awful the phone ban is, I argue it’s for a good reason. The phone ban at school is just a forerunner to California’s Phone-Free School Act that will go into effect in 2026. There has already been a lot of backlash as to why it is a good thing, but it’s doing more good than harm. 

There have been various studies proving that being addicted to your phone relates to addiction to substances. So, to go into detail, these studies have shown that every time you go on your phone and do anything, even just checking notifications on your phone, the reward system in your brain is triggered, releasing dopamine. The BBC has also talked about this with a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford named Anna Lembke speaking about it. “Digital media activates the same part of our brains as drugs and alcohol, releasing dopamine,” says Lembke. “With repeated use, our brains adapt by downregulating dopamine transmission.” People cannot put their phones down because of the dopamine release they get from social media. Nevertheless, being on and addicted to your phone, especially in teens, can lead to people having more mental health issues and being more isolated. 

Although there has been a lot of backlash on the phone ban, what the school has been doing at the moment is just the forerunner to an act that will be taking effect in 2026, showing that what the school has been doing is just to prepare the students for more serious action that will be taking place in 2026. Additionally, there are proven facts as to why the phone ban is a good thing, so the backlash that the phone ban has been getting is just from the fact that most people are addicted to their phones.

Overall, the phone ban is a good start to get teens to get off their phones, seeing as many teens are addicted to their phones. Additionally, the phone ban at our school specifically is a good start as to what will come in 2026.