Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Michael Kenney's avatar

I teach middle school in a large district in the American Midwest.

Jonathan Haidt is winning the fight against smartphones in schools, but the fight is far from won. The next years will require us to look in detail into what school districts are doing. We must ensure that districts’ cell phone bans are substantive and not just “bans” in name only.

Our district has a bell-to-bell cell phone "ban". In theory, students are required to keep their cell phones off and in their lockers throughout the school day. In practice, almost every student carries their smartphone with them at all times and most likely uses it frequently if clandestinely several times each day.

The disparity comes from the district's enforcement policy: Students caught with their cell phones have their phones confiscated *for only the current class period*, provided they comply with the request to give the teacher their phone. Even if they do not comply, they only lose their phones for the remainder of the school day - Remember, the official rule is ALREADY that students leave their cell phones in their lockers for the school day. Only students who are both habitual offenders AND habitually refuse to hand over their phones when caught regularly suffer further consequences. Even then, the usual consequence is that the student turns in their cell phone to the main office at the beginning of each day before their first class. Again, the official rule is ALREADY that students leave their cell phones in their lockers for the school day.

If you are in a district with a cell phone ban, then find out how the policy is enforced. If the enforcement lacks substance, then do something about it. Write to your school board member, or even speak at a school board meeting.

Expand full comment
Alex Fox's avatar

I hope you're right about the turning point! At a holiday gathering with several other families, I replicated Nicholas Smyth's experiment: I asked the teenagers whether they felt they would be happier and healthier if smartphone and social media technology had never been invented. Around 80% said yes, they would be better off.

Expand full comment
30 more comments...

No posts