The Pandora’s Box of Technology

With vacation season still ongoing, it’s startling to consider the 2025-26 school year is also upon us.

As the latest academic calendar unfolds, there is no better news than New York becoming the largest state to ban cellphones and other internet-enabled devices during school hours.

Although the state passed the law in May, I didn’t hear about it until a late June trip to Long Island for a high school graduation in our family.

When it takes effect Sept. 4, New York will become the fifth state to ban cell phones at school, according to this report from the Albany Law Center.

However, the Ballotpedia website said recently that 32 states had enacted laws or policies on cellphones, with 25 banning or limiting their classroom use.

Fodder for Discussion

Whatever the exact numbers, New York’s action became the fodder for discussion with friends after our trip to Long Island.

When I commented on the move as a brilliant one, one person talked about parents raising objections, particularly in the modern era of school shootings.

She mentioned two students who were able to communicate with their parents via smartphone during one tragic incident.

“Granted, schools will have to come up with ways to notify parents when this kind of thing happens,” I replied. “But they need to figure it out, because cellphones are ruining their children’s education.”

I firmly believe that. The constant activity on devices is ruining young people’s ability to socialize, communicate with others, and develop an attention span longer than the average TikTok video.

One friend whose niece had to attend summer school again this year talked about how easily distracted she gets by videos or comments showing up onscreen during the middle of an assignment or class project.

A couple of months ago at a cookout, I watched after dinner as two girls—ostensibly good friends—never talked to each other for the next hour. They were too engrossed with their tablets.

Intellectual Abuse and Pandora’s Box

It’s not just cell phones that are negatively affecting education. The abuse of Artificial Intelligence (especially ChatGPT) has prompted a return to “Blue Books,” the old-fashioned pamphlets of light blue, stapled paper used during exams.

A late May story in the Wall Street Journal told of a rebound in sales (which had tanked during the pandemic) because of rampant AI cheating. The books offer a way for professors to ensure that the work students are turning in is a product of their cognitive abilities.

Kristen Allen, vice president of sales and marketing at Pennsylvania-based Roaring Spring Paper Products, told the newspaper she understands why colleges want the company’s books.

“I thought people just used AI for big things,” she said. “But no, they use it for everything. Which is pretty terrifying.”

Whether it’s cell phones, AI mischief, or other high-tech wizardry, the consequences of modern-day technology have opened what could be termed a “Pandora’s box.”

The term comes from Greek mythology and references the adverse consequences that can emerge from seemingly innocent actions. I remember hearing a version of the story in childhood.

However, as humankind grapples with the fallout of electronic devices and AI developments that have overtaken our lives, I shudder. The impact of opening the latest Pandora’s box is worse than anything I could have imagined in elementary school.