Psychologist warns of withdrawal effects of cellphone ban in Texas schools
Move over, baseball. Like it or not, "scrolling" has become the nation's pre-eminent pastime.
"Yeah, it's super tough," said Carly Decker in Dallas. "I'm personally glued to my phone because of various jobs, and all require I be on call at all hours. So, it is tough to find a balance."
New law targets classroom distractions
Texas lawmakers aim to reduce classroom distractions with a new law banning cellphones, tablets, and smartwatches during the school day.
"I'm in agreeance with it," said Stephanie Paresky. "I think that they should not be in the classroom. They need to be focused on learning and not all the distractions."
Paresky says her elementary school-aged child is still too young for a cellphone, and they are holding the devices at bay for as long as they can. Limited screen time is the norm for her family, but a glance around most public spaces shows that attitude is rare.
Psychologist warns of withdrawal effects
"Four people can be having dinner... like out at a nice restaurant," said Josh Briley, Ph.D., a team lead psychologist at Parkland Health, "and all of them are on their phones. None of them are mindful, none of them are present in the moment."
The anxiety associated with being without those devices has its name: nomophobia. Briley says it's not an official medical diagnosis, but he's warning parents and educators of the school day consequences of the ban.
"There's going to be short-term implications with anxiety, depression, irritability, anger," said Briley, Ph.D., CCTP, FAIS. "Due to technological advances, we have become, as a society, very dependent upon our devices."
Parents urged to lead by example
Briley says parents will have a big impact on how well their students adjust to the change.
"If the parents do nothing but complain about it and talk about the downside, then the student is going to be more resistant."
He urges parents to lead by example—putting down their own devices. Begin to schedule "technology-free" time at home and during short car rides. And he says, don't forget to acknowledge the positives.
"They will be less distracted in class, so they will be paying more attention," Briley said. "Their social skills will improve. They'll learn to talk to each other face to face, and have conversations that don't involve texting each other."
Emergency contact concerns addressed
Briley also reminds parents to acknowledge their own anxiety about not being able to reach students during the school day. He suggests reaching out to school administrators beforehand to learn about emergency contact protocols.
"We miss so much in our children's lives when our noses are buried in our phones," shares Briley. "I'm not saying, 'don't ever use your phone'... but this is a good time for families to evaluate."