HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) \u2014 Students and adults took to the Pennsylvania State Capitol to argue their sides on a bill that could ban cell phones in schools.<\/p>\n
Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny) introduced the \u201cbell-to-bell\u201d ban<\/a> earlier this month. It would require public and parochial schools to prevent students from using cell phones on school grounds, including during homeroom, lunch and recess. The Senate Education Committee held a hearing Tuesday on the proposal.<\/p>\n Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n Robinson said he just returned from Ireland where a relative works as a school teacher. He inquired about their cell phone policy.<\/p>\n \u201cShe just looked at me and said, \u2018Oh, we don\u2019t allow cell phones in our schools. Are you crazy?’\u201d<\/p>\n Essentially a state mandate with local control, the bill leaves it up to districts on how a ban would look. Robinson said schools could require students to place their phone in a pouch or to ban the devices completely from school grounds.<\/p>\n The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the union representing educators and support staff in the state, backs the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cThe kids are not being aware that they cannot developmentally handle these cell phones. Their brains have not developed yet,\u201d said Aaron Chapin, president of the union. \u201cAnd they can\u2019t control the impulses every time it\u2019s denying adults have a struggle enough as it is, children have even more.\u201d<\/p>\n Students included in the discussion disagreed. They said a total ban would show a lack of trust and miss a teachable moment for young adults.<\/p>\n \u201cThat trust builds those good relationships of trust builds the students wanting to do what\u2019s right, wanting to put their phone away and listen to their teacher talk,\u201d said Atticus Mitchel, a Danville Area School District student.<\/p>\n But students said they have also experienced the anxiety cell phones cause. Social media can be especially brutal for young women.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many people out there on social media, and there\u2019s just a lot of times, for comparison, someone\u2019s prettier than you or something like that,\u201d said Camryn Hoover, a Milton Area School District student.<\/p>\n