There is already a way around the school phone ban

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Should we ban phones at school? The subject is debated. But in any case, if parents want to be reassured despite such a ban, there is already a solution: connected watches. Ideally, a connected watch is used with a smartphone. However, some models are able to operate completely autonomously, without a smartphone, thanks to connectivity with cellular networks.

And recently, in the United States, Apple has a marketing page promoting the Apple Watch, as a solution for parents of children too young to own an iPhone. Entitled “Apple Watch For Your Kids”, this page reminds us that the Apple Watch already has an operating mode designed for children. Indeed, since 2020, the Cupertino company has offered a family configuration which allows parents to configure and control their children's Apple Watches on their smartphones. As the company indicated when announcing this feature, this configuration allows “children and seniors to use the communication, health, fitness and security features of the Apple Watch, even if they don't have an iPhone.”

A School mode for lessons

The advantage is that children can make calls or send text messages from the Apple Watch, which is connected to mobile networks. They can also be located. This connection also allows the watch to be managed remotely from the parent's iPhone. However, there is a feature called School mode that helps avoid distractions when the child is in class. “When School mode is active, the dial displays an easily recognizable yellow circle which indicates to parents and the educational team that access to apps is limited and that mode No do not disturb is enabled, indicates Apple.

Finally, parents also obtain information on their children's physical activities. Furthermore, Apple already offers an ideal model for this use: the Apple Watch SE, which is an affordable version of the Apple Watch Series.

The ban makes his way

In any case, more and more schools are banning phones in the United States. According to CNBC, the governor of the state of Virginia, for example, signed an executive order that limits the use of phones at school. And a ban on phones could apply in schools in New York and Los Angeles.

In any case, connected watches could be a solution that allows parents to stay in touch with their children during the day, and to be reassured, while avoiding distractions caused by smartphone screens.

• Apple already has a solution in the event of a ban on phones at school: the Apple Watch
• In 2020, the firm launched a mode that allows parents to manage their children's Apple Watches on iPhone, while limiting distractions during classes
• The advantage is that thanks to the cellular connectivity of the Apple Watch, parents can communicate with their children and even locate them
• Apple publishes a page that is promoting this feature, as the idea of ​​banning or limiting the use of phones in school is gaining ground in the United States

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