As we all know, smartphones are a common piece of society -- but yes, they are a distraction. At my high school in suburban Kansas City, administrators and teachers have pushed the policy on how students can use them as of late. Our rules are far from the strictest in the country, let alone the city. It simply sets a golden rule: Students cannot have their phones out unless they have explicit permission.

This is not an issue only in my community. I think that eventually my school's policy could potentially end up like many others: Lock your phone in a box during the school day.

We can all agree that cellphones can be an issue in the classroom: They can steal students' attention, which can lead to things getting missed. We've all been there. This is why Bonner Springs is encouraging more enforcement of its policy, and not necessarily for a bad reason. Any school wants its kids to succeed by passing classes, and the best way to do that is for them simply to pay attention.

Let's face it: Teenagers do not like this rule, myself included. But it's similar to a speed limit, and there are reasons why it is in place. I think more schools should move toward our policy, and put more trust into the students. We need to learn the proper and improper times to be on our devices, as much as we do not want to say it. I do not want our school to pivot toward stricter rules.

So, how can we prevent school phone bans from going nationwide? We young people need more encouragement from our "inner circles" to give us incentives to pay attention. We are not first graders and don't need to be bribed with prizes, but we need to be reminded that even though a class might feel boring, we just have to fight for another hour. In the 2024-2025 school year, my school has implemented a new session called Brave Time, where you can sign up for courses you'd be interested in doing between the second and third periods, which could be a step in the right direction if used correctly. That time could be used for study hall. I don't know about you, but I would not like to sit for 30 minutes doing work. I'd like to be with my friends or learn a new trade. And I think others agree with me.

My mom and father have always been very supportive of my decisions. This has rubbed off on me to be supportive of my peers, even when they do not have that same support at home. This leads me to my belief that families are placing more blame on the school for not teaching their kids right. I get that impulse -- I do. But instead of looking for someone to point the proverbial finger, let's look from within. You can say that these kids didn't learn anything in class, and believe me, I've felt this many times in the past and probably will again. However, applying ourselves to our classes can help us out in the long term. That means saving students and their parents on college funds by paying more attention in class, and then getting quality grades. And it means teaching the self-discipline not to get immediately bored.

I might not see eye to eye with those who want to keep students from having smartphones out in classrooms, but I understand why the rules are in place. However, I do not agree with locking the phones in a box. We are still kids. We deserve to be able to send that text or like that post. But we should be taught when and when not to be on our devices. And if we go to just locking them away, it would feel like kids are being punished for no rhyme or reason. Most kids get on their phones only when they are finished with their classwork anyway, I've noticed.

Let's meet in the middle and make it to where schools do not have to police cellphone usage.