Pleasant Grove High joins schools implementing cell phone ban [Video]

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Pleasant Grove High School said that it has banned cell-phone use during class. 

Listen to Pleasant Grove High School Principal John Hanks 👇

The announcement comes after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox shared a letter to school leaders across the state. 

According to a press release from Alpine School District, the letter motivated the school’s leaders. 

Tamara Oborn, a Pleasant Grove High School wellness teacher, helped do research and gather feedback from the school community. 

“Research overwhelmingly shows that cell phones in the classroom have a negative impact on student learning,” said Oborn. “They cause distractions, increase anxiety, and decrease the sense of safety and privacy among students. Having distance from cell phones during class time improves student learning by increasing engagement with the material and fellow students, which facilitates deep learning and increased confidence.”

The case against cell phones

The press release said that Oborn’s research found that many students worry about missing out on notifications during class. They also spend less time …