They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. And the reason they say that is because time and time again, it’s proven to be true.

I thought of that the other day when one of Governor Pillens’ Legislative Priorities made it out of committee. LB140 is the bill before the Unicameral that would not allow children in grades K-12 to use a cell phone in school.

You see, I remember my parents and grandparents complaining about us kids watching too much TV. They said the so-called “BoobTube” was rotting our brains. My dad was raised in the era of radio, and I’d be willing to bet that his dad complained about him listening to it too much.

Whether or not watching so much TV as a child rotted my brain is open for discussion. But now I find myself being the adult bitching about all the time kids spend with their eyes glazed over staring at the modern-day technology of the smart phone.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I commend Governor Pillen for making this a priority and I thank Senator Rita Sanders for sponsoring the bill. I wish they could pass a law that would stop adults from staring at their phones so much as well.

I’ll admit I’m being a bit of a hypocrite here because when it comes to me cutting back the time I spend on my smartphone, I’m like the fat guy complaining that he needs to lose weight while eating a donut at the drive-through lane at McDonalds.

I admit I have become addicted to my smartphone.

And I’m far from the only one. We’ve all seen people at a restaurant or a coffee shop sitting across from each other texting, scrolling, or tik-tok-ing.

I can justify some of my constant use. In the old days, if I was in a doctor’s office waiting room or sitting by myself at Panera, I would have had a newspaper or magazine in my hand. Now it’s a smartphone. That is, as long as I’m reading something useful.

Smartphones are a valuable tool. Who’s to say how much is too much screen time? My parents and grandparents felt I spent too much time watching TV and listening to rock and roll radio. I wound up with a rewarding 45-year career. Was that wasted time or preparation for my future?

But I never would have gotten away with watching TV or listening to the radio in the classroom. Should kids be able to get away with watching everything from cat videos to porn?

Unfortunately, there is one very valid reason to allow smartphones in the classroom: School Shootings.

We’ve all heard heartbreaking reports of the 911 calls from frightened children huddled in a classroom describing the bloodshed in the hallway, or a tearful mother describing the last words her daughter said to her before hearing a scream, a gunshot, and silence.

A smartphone doesn’t stop a shooter from getting a gun or entering a school. Nothing is being done to protect school kids from that. Taking the smartphone out of their hands during class time can protect them from illiteracy.

Lately, it seems that what is coming out of the Unicameral committees is either culture war topics or complex tax bills that are hard for a lot of people to understand. LB 140 is a commonsense bill that is easy to understand.

Governor Pillen made his whole campaign about caring for children. Taking the phones out of kids’ hands during school hours and forcing them to focus more on their studies is a step in the right direction.

But I doubt he’ll ever promote legislation to try to prevent kids from taking guns to school.

The more things change……

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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