Students in Göttingen: mobile phone ban? Opinions differ widely!

Students in Göttingen: mobile phone ban? Opinions differ widely!

In German schools, the topic of mobile phone use is hotly debated. While many pupils consider the cell phones to be a matter of course of their everyday life, there is great inconsistency in politics and among the educational associations in the regulations. In Lower Saxony in particular, there is still ambiguity, since a nationwide ban on cell phones is not initially in sight. According to the Göttingen, a non-representative survey shows that the opinions between the students vary greatly. Max Gosewinkel, a high school graduate from the Max Planck Gymnasium, sees a ban as not contemporary: "Digital media are an integral part of our lives." His classmate Mimi adds that a ban would rather create new problems instead of solving them. Teresa Tykhonyuk, also a prospective high school graduate, advocates self -discipline instead of a strict ban.

Not all young people are against regulations. Mika, a ninth grader, believes that cell phones should not be used in class, since iPads are already used for lessons. He suggests that cell phones should be handed in before class to minimize distractions. In many schools there are already looser regulations, such as stowing the cell phones in the pocket or in the locker. Lukas from the Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg Comprehensive School, on the other hand, believe that cell phones can also make lessons more interesting. The demand for a sensible integration of cell phones in the classroom is therefore quite present.

political reactions and opinions

The Minister of Culture of Lower Saxony, Julia Willie Hamburg, is open to a nationwide uniform regulation for dealing with cell phones in schools, but does not want to throw the existing regulations in Lower Saxony overboard. According to ndr , the mobile phone ban in Hessen could be introduced after the summer vacation, while a differentiated concept according to age groups is in the prospect. The AfD supports the ban as a measure for concentration promotion and to improve academic performance. Contrary to this line, the CDU in Lower Saxony rejects a general ban, but is in favor of uniform regulations.

The debate is also accompanied by the associations of teachers and parent representatives who demand a clear framework of action. The State Student Council is committed to a "contemporary handling" with smartphones, which means that intelligent integration should be sought in the classroom.

studies and their results

The call for mobile phone bans is also underpinned by numerous studies, such as an overview on the Deutsche Schulportal . According to the Postbank Youth digital study in 2023, young people spend an average of 36.9 hours on the smartphone every week, which is fueling concern in society. While some studies, such as one from England, prove positive effects of cell phone bans on student performance, others show no significant relationships. The debate remains emotionally and inconsistent, so that a clear direction for the future of cell phone use in schools still has to be sought.

The discussion about the ban on cell phones shows how deeply the topic is rooted in society. It remains to be seen whether a uniform regulation will come at the federal level. Until then, schools and students are challenged to find a reasonable path in the digital world.