Last week, USA Today ran an outstanding article titled:  Schools don’t want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution?

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I want to touch on some VERY IMPORTANT points that this article makes:

Our team launched Away For The Day in December 2017 to provide science and tools to help more schools create policies in which phones are not with students during the school day, and we are pleased the article mentions AwayForTheDay.org.

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The moment of change is truly here. Unlike anything we have seen in the past, the rate at which schools and full districts are adopting away-for-the-day policies is outstanding! 

This takes all of us working together. 

The more schools we help change to Away For The Day, the more we can improve the mental well being of our kids — this is what science has revealed.

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Here are some highlights from the USA Today article:

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• Midway through the school year, Michigan schools will launch a new rule that bans cell phones. The fact they are doing this in the middle of the school year shows that schools can make these important changes at any time.

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• The article mentions what we know at Screenagers: Schools use our movies to help students understand the impact of cell phones in schools and other issues with tech. 

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• “Todd Chandler, Principal of Luxemburg-Casco Middle School in Wisconsin, said he shows “Screenagers” during PE classes to help the kids understand the natural consequences of constant phone use, which include lower academic performance, shorter attention spans, and fragile mental health.” 

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• The article points out that when schools implement away-for-the-day policies, staff see improvements in students’ mental health and increased social interactions.

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• The piece contains examples of how schools are effectively addressing phone infractions. 

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• Chandler also shared that when he implemented Away For The Day, the number of phones he confiscated dropped from 10 on the first day of the policy to zero at the present. 

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• Data, including our own, show that over  80% of parents support bans on phones in schools. 

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• The article addresses the myth that having phones is good for safety. In fact, it is the opposite — “... law enforcement people say that having cell phones can hinder safety.”  

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• States are suing social media companies, and “hundreds of districts have sued or considered suing social media companies” around its impacts on kids’s mental health. And to allow access to it all day at school is really hypocritical.

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• “The latest results of an international standardized assessment … find that students are less likely to report distractions when there are bans.”

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• “United Nations report from last July concluded by recommending a global ban on cellphones in schools. Around the world, almost 1 in 4 countries have introduced such bans in laws or policies.” 

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Here are some questions to start a conversation:

1. What do you think? Should cellphones be banned in school? It’s a meaningful conversation to have with your tweens and teens. Here are some questions to get started. 

2. Do you feel less distracted when your phone is away?

3. Do you feel it’s easier to learn and pay attention?

4. What is your school’s policy?

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The Screenagers Podcast - New Episode: How Does Our Digital Age Impact Teen Weed Use?

In the latest episode of The Screenagers Podcast that just released, Dr. Delaney Ruston explores the complex issue of weed use among teenagers in today's digital world.

Listen to the full episode here: Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Website or check out the following preview!

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