Editor’s note: The following letter was read by Kirthana Gowthaman, a Staples High School freshman, at last week’s Board of Education meeting and submitted to the Westport Journal for publication.

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My name is Kirthana Gowthaman, and I am a 9th grader at Staples High School, and would like to discuss the drawbacks of the proposed plan to ban cellphone use from bell-to-bell in Westport public schools with purchase of Yondr bags.

While I have seen my schoolmates on social media during class, at lunch, and in the hallways, and agree that there are good reasons for considering this ban, just getting rid of the use of phones is not going to solve this issue.

Most social media apps and games are easily accessible to students on their laptops and iPads, which are not covered by the proposed ban. So, there will continue to be distractions and hindrances for learning — showing that the proposed policy is going to be ineffective in fixing the issue it is designed to fix, as students are going to find other ways to access the same social media apps. 

Another reason being given for the proposal is that banning phones will reduce anxiety. On the contrary, many students use devices to relieve anxiety, as anxiety is mainly caused by school stress and other personal issues rather than devices. 

Another flaw in this proposal is that preventing students from using phones will not be beneficial for students in the long term. 

I personally believe that the main purpose of a school is to prepare students for the real world. If we prevent students from using their phones, how will they learn to responsibly use their phones in the office or on the job? 

The answer to this question is that they won’t, which can be even more detrimental for their careers and relationships over the longer term.

It is the duty of the school to teach students how to balance work with social media and phones, not eliminate these entities in a world that is becoming more digitally-based every day. 

I am also concerned about whether this is the best use of taxpayer dollars. A lot of planning goes into budgeting, but it’s important to note that this plan would cost no less than $30,000-$50,000, which is a prodigious amount. 

These funds could be able to support clubs instead that make a difference to Staples and Westport students. Why make students pay dues to discover our passions when we can use these funds to help them? Other possible uses for the money include improvements to the school building, increasing classroom budgets etc. 

Finally, although Wilton may have experienced positive effects, it failed to look at the longer-term effects, as well as the fact that many students there used other forms of technology with the cellphone policy implemented. I spoke to a student who goes to Wilton High School, and according to that student, although there were some benefits, those benefits did not outweigh the tens of thousands of dollars spent on the pouches. 

The debate about phones at Staples is an important one, especially in a world which is becoming more technology-based by the minute. I urge you to consider the following question: Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Clearly not, as the problem with phones and social media won’t be fixed (students can access the same sites on laptops), it won’t help students in the long term (banning phones won’t teach students how to manage them), and it costs a lot of money.

With that, I’d like to conclude by thanking you for reading this and considering what I had to write, and I’d like to wish you a great day.

Kirthana Gowthaman

Westport