Indiana’s law, which passed with bipartisan support, forbids students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time. There are exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies and students who need their phones for medical or disability reasons. It’s up to schools to come up with their own discipline procedures for violations.

Phones aren’t only a distraction from academics; educators and students say they’ve also driven interpersonal conflicts and contributed to poor mental health.

Students typically use their phones to listen to music, but that’s no longer allowed during instructional time in Indiana. Grace says music helped her stay focused during quiet work time at school. Without it, she says, she’s struggling to concentrate.

  • PyroNeurosis
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    2 months ago

    Entire generations of kids were also corporally punished by teachers, but that is no longer considered good practice.

    • Chahk@beehaw.org
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      2 months ago

      Let’s not equate beatings and other child abuse to not having music during school hours.

      • Themadbeagle@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        Let take this as an example that just blindly saying things “worked” in the past means we should keep doing things the same way

      • PyroNeurosis
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        2 months ago

        Fair enough, this is just hobbling kids who would be better off with something to fill in the background.

        The question then becomes: are the many students who do not benefit from music as background noise hurt by the permission of it even through headphones?