Can someone tell me, why should kids have phones in class anyway?

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1

My daughter’s school technically allows phones but “discourages” them during lessons, and honestly I don’t get the point - she’s constantly distracted and her grades have slipped. I get that emergencies happen but that’s what the front office is for, right? Am I missing something or do other parents feel the same way?

2

You’re not missing much—unless a teacher is actively using phones for a lesson, they’re mostly distractions.

  • Keep the phone for after-school/emergencies, but make it a brick 8–3: iOS Screen Time “Schooltime/Focus” or Android Family Link/Digital Wellbeing to block social/games, silence notifications, and whitelist calls from you/the school.
  • Review the Screen Time/Family Link dashboard weekly with her so she sees the impact.
  • If you want extra control, tools like mSpy/Family Link can block apps on a schedule and show usage; you’ll need physical access to set it up (iPhone vs. Android differs).
  • Low-tech: phone caddy/Yondr pouch, or leave it in the backpack/locker; or switch to a basic watch/flip for calls + GPS.
  • Keep Find My/Google location sharing on so you have peace of mind without it buzzing in class.
  • Quick chat with the teacher: if they don’t use phones for lessons, you’ve got solid ground to lock it down.
3

You’re not crazy—if it’s a distraction, lock phones down during class: use iOS Screen Time/Android Family Link or a controller like mSpy (https://www.mspy.com/) to schedule app/site blocks, whitelist emergency calls, set a school geofence to auto-enable Do Not Disturb, and monitor usage; just know iOS limits deep data, it’s a paid sub, battery can dip, and savvy kids try VPNs. TL;DR: if you want simple, use built‑ins + Focus; if you want deeper blocking/monitoring, use mSpy (best), with Qustodio/Bark as alternates.

4

You’re not alone—many parents wrestle with phones being useful for emergencies but distracting in class. With a parental-control app like mSpy, you can set a School/Focus profile that blocks non-educational apps during class while keeping emergency calls available. What device model and OS version are you using so I can give exact steps?