It’s not the ability to ‘check in’ that’s the problem, it’s that mobile phones are a useful part of day to day life. Banning them is literally handicapping some kids such as those with adhd & autism who need them for reminders, information access, to listen to music when they’re overwhelmed etc.
The bans aren’t based on any sound research, they’re just reactionary measures that seem like the right thing to do because ‘we didn’t have phones when we were at school’, completely ignoring how society has changed in the past 20 years, and without considering any unintended consequences.
I'm fully aware that a cell phone can have a diverse set of use cases outside of communication that can be beneficial to students Where I disagree with you is that the cell phone is the only solution for the issues that you describe
Yes, but for many use cases it’s the best, and sometimes only, solution available. There’s a reason why they’re ubiquitous; they’re extremely useful for a lot of things. Rather than just trying to pretend they don’t exist, it would be more useful to coach kids on how to use them responsibly.