Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
How are you managing your kids' cellphone usage amid classroom bans? We want to hear from you
As students across Canada return to school this week, they'll face a new reality: stricter rules on cellphone use in the classroom.
An expert says the upsides of a cellphone ban are clear — the mere presence of a cellphone, even if it's not in use, can hinder a student's ability to focus.
"We know from some really good studies that when the cellphone is in a child's desk or in their backpack, their ability to attend to the work in front of them is significantly decreased versus when the cellphone is in another room beside them," explains clinical child psychologist Todd Cunningham in a Â鶹ӰÊÓ Channel interview Tuesday.
Cunningham says cellphone bans will allow students to listen to their teachers, do the work in front of them and engage in social conversations within and outside the classroom environment.
Ontario students from must keep their phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day starting this year. Cellphones cannot be used during class time for students in Grade 7 to Grade 12. The province has said cellphones may only be used if permitted by a teacher or if students have special education or medical needs.
While the policy has been met with some pushback, Cunningham says it is not surprising, as "anytime we have these big changes, there's a lot of anxiety that gets developed."
Cunningham says we are a society connected to our phones and see them as important tools for getting bits of information on a regular basis. When that is removed from us, we start to feel a little lost, he says.
More provinces have announced cellphone bans, including British Columbia's "bell-to-bell" rule and Saskatchewan.
Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia have also moved to curb cellphone use in schools.
Cunningham notes that the pull of smartphones is particularly problematic for students who already struggle with attention issues. "Individuals who have attention-related difficulties, they actually gravitate to entertainment devices, social media devices, because they're getting more of what their brains are actually missing, and so that draws them in more."
According to Cunningham, 30 per cent of youth spend three hours or more a day on their phones. "That's three hours a day they're not talking with their peers around them, developing those social skills of being present to listen and having drawn-out conversations," he says.
Cunningham adds that if kids are encouraged to limit their cellphone use in classrooms, adults must model it too.
"If we're expecting our children to start to do this, as we come through the front door at the end of the day, we need to put our phones down too," Cunningham advises. "We need to be attuned to the family members around us, or when we're sitting down at the dinner table, or even when we're driving."
Are you a parent or teacher navigating this new cellphone ban? CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you.
How do you feel about the recent cellphone bans in classrooms? What have your experiences been with your child's cellphone usage? What strategies have you found are effective in managing cellphone usage? Is there any impact, positive or negative, on your child's behaviour related to mobile usage?
Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name and location and phone number in case we want to follow-up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kids are inhaling 'Galaxy Gas' to get high. Here’s what parents should know
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas — and lately, that’s in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Recall expands for Nutrabolics vegan bars over undeclared milk
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says a recall of Nutrabolics brand Feed Me Vegan Real Food Protein & Oats bars due to undeclared milk has been expanded.
Kamala Harris accepts CNN debate invitation for Oct. 23, challenging Trump to another showdown
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.
Is the price of your morning coffee on the rise?
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Housing support for adult children with severe autism is 'absolutely absurd,' say parents
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder – it’s a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
Top Hezbollah leader was among the 37 people killed in an Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment block
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Saturday as rescue crews in Beirut searched the rubble of an apartment building that was leveled by an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group's senior leaders as well as women and children.
Cards Against Humanity sues Elon Musk's SpaceX over alleged trespassing in Texas
The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is accusing Elon Musk's SpaceX of trespassing on and damaging a plot of vacant land the company owns in Texas.
Local Spotlight
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.