High school teens get creative with phone ban rules: 'If I replace every single component in the phone... is this still the same cell phone?'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 8, 2025 3:00 PM EST

When this high school banned phones, it made the kids get downright philosophical in their approach to sneaking in their precious communication devices. 

If you ever got your phone taken during school, you know how irritating it was to be suddenly without it. When I was in middle school, we had flip phones (who remembers ye olde piece of tech?) I actually really loved typing on that phone, and if it were possible, I'd totally choose that over my iPhone any day. Phones these days are like, 1000 times harder to put down, so if your teacher confiscates it, it must cause a ton of panic and anxiety for the students. 

Phones seem to cause a lot of disruption in classes, and they're constantly the bane of teachers' existence. One student shared this funny Q&A regarding phones being banned. Kids are so smart: they've come up with a bunch of hilarious ways they could still get their communications across to each other. Check out the questions and answers below! 

Next, read about the stepmom who banned her stepdaughter from family dinner because she wouldn't stop singing at top volume: "My husband wants me to apologize... and is insisting I allow her to eat with the family again."

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10477236992
    via Valeriia Miller For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    School recently banned phones and these are the questions students asked
    via u/Wes_709
  • 03
    Am I permitted to use smoke signals to communicate?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 04
    No. That would create an indoor air quality concern.
    via u/Wes_709
  • 05
    Could I use a carrier pigeon to send messages?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 06

    "Previously asked and answered" is cracking me up

    Previously asked and answered. Unfortunately, per variou animals are not permitted property. culars,
    via u/Wes_709
  • 07

    Clever!

    Would I be permitted to use a SCR-578, 500 kHz radio transmitted to send messages in Morse code during the school day?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 08
    I don't even know what this is. Let's talk.
    via u/Wes_709
  • 09
    Will banning cell phones cause Verizon's stock price to drop? Would you recommend divesting from the company before the ban goes into effect?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 10
    I am not authorized to offer investment advice.
    via u/Wes_709
  • 11

    This student got philosophical:

    Lets say I am caught with my cell phone during 6th period and so am required to surrender the phone at the start of the following day. If I go home and replace every single component in the phone with a replacement, is this still the same cell phone? How does the school plan to address this Grecian philosophical dilemma?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 12

    Oooh that's a good answer

    Does it have the same phone number?
    via u/Wes_709
  • 13

    Commenters were completely delighted with this, and some added some equally funny suggestions

    Affectionate-Bat... ask you're allowed to ride through the halls like paul revere as a form of communication
    via u/Affectionate-Bat8901
  • 14
    Wikipedia Ab Interesting solution to the Ship of Theseus
    via u/Wikipedia Ab
  • 15
    Nearby-Rice6371 "I don't even know what this is." The admin was so confused
    via u/Nearby-Rice6371
  • 16
    Ralinor The phone of Theseus
    via u/Ralinor
  • 17
    Wanderlusxt LMAO your school (students, not the administration) sounds great
    via u/Wanderlusxt

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

teens class phones school elementary school iPhones kids classes middle school technology kids these days high school
Scroll Down For The Next Article