We can’t let kids use their phones! What if they do something against the rules with them during school hours?
Well… they’re going to use their phones. There’s no stopping that.
If they do something bad when phones are allowed, we blame a lenient policy and decide to make it more strict.
If they do something bad when phones are banned, who do we blame? What do we do? Make the policy even more strict?
Maybe we should go back and rethink the original premise that taking away agency would make the outcomes better in the first place. Maybe we should challenge an antiquated system rather than immediately regressing to the status quo the second something goes “wrong.”
Everything good takes time. Growing pains are inevitable. If we prioritize short term comfort, we will not see long term success. If we prioritize long term success, we will problem solve through the short term discomfort to make our world better for all.