The implementation of the new phone policy has impacted every classroom by turning each one into a no-phone environment. The results of this policy remain questionable, with some students agreeing and others stating it is not helpful. While the administration’s goal was to create a more focused academic environment, student experiences suggest this fix is like a Band-Aid to a bigger problem. For this to truly apply to the whole student body, the policy should be adjusted to be more nuanced by granting usage of phones and headphones during non-instructional periods.
The effectiveness of the policy depends on who you ask, Senior Justin Cai notes a visible shift in classroom dynamics, observing that classmates who would be constantly distracted with their phones are now paying more attention to classwork.
“I personally benefited from it as I’ve gotten more work done,” Cai said, echoing the sentiment that the policy is the “nudge” needed to push students to prioritize academic work.
However, other students argue that the policy fails to address the root cause of academic disengagement. Ayden Gonzalez, also a senior, believes that the ban on phones has not fundamentally changed the work habits of students.
“The people that didn’t do their work before still don’t do it with or without their phone,” Gonzalez said. He believes that while the policy sounds good theoretically, its practicality fails to account for the reality of academic drive, which comes from the person, not just the absence of a smartphone.
To close this gap, the school should adopt a tiered access strategy in which students are allowed to use devices during embedded time, but classroom time, as well as lectures, remains entirely phone-free to ensure participation. Gonzalez believes that this is an important adjustment.
“Sometimes students, if they have no work, use that time to just relax,” Gonzalez said.
Also, as students like Cai claim that “listening to music while working” might be beneficial for concentration, allowing the use of headphones during independent work periods would be a good balance.
Students should not just go back to a digital free-for-all, but the school also should not ignore the fact that the current policy seems like a temporary fix to a long-standing problem. The administration can transition from being “phone police” to advisors who teach students how to use technology responsibly by allowing scheduled flexibility.
