MINNESOTA (VINnews) — It turns out that preventing cell phones from students during school hours, although it may seem painful short-term, can be mentally healthier AND make students happier and more successful.
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Although some would consider it cruel and unusual punishment, a Minnesota middle school banned cellphones one year ago, and the positive difference was “night and day,” according to school officials.
The school banned student cell phone use for the entire school day, from 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., following a variety of problems that were directly linked to the devices.
The policy encourages students to keep phones in their lockers, and they are confiscated for the day if students are caught using them.
Parents were highly in favor of the “radical” approach. When they launched the plan, parents applauded, Maple Grove Middle School Principal Patrick Smith said.
“Nobody has ever pushed back,” he said. “I mean, in my experience, not one parent or community member has come in and said this is bogus, you shouldn’t be doing this, our kids should be able to have their phone. It’s been very, very much supported by our community and our parents and our staff.”
After a year, the results are astoundingly positive.
“In the grand scheme of things, kids are happy. They’re engaging with each other,” Smith said. “The hallway behavior, it’s just night and day.”
“There was no cross-the-table conversations, there was no interaction in the hallways,” he added. “And let’s be real, with these devices, our students – especially our teenagers – there’s a lot of drama that comes from social media, and a lot of conflict that comes from it.”
While it is not conclusive how the change impacted academics, feedback from parents was positive as well.
“I do notice that he is thriving and really focused and doing really well,” parent Kim Gillen said about her son. “Participates in class discussions. I get feedback from the teachers on that.”
Before the ban, the administration observed major issues linked to devices in school.
“We have a culture and climate concern. We see issues that kids are getting on their phones through interactions of bullying, of setting up fights, just the gambit of a lot of the negative things kids are going back and forth on social media,” Smith said, adding that the distraction from learning was also a big concern.
A recent study from Common Sense Media found 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during the school day, with the amount of in-school screen time ranging from less than a minute to 6.5 hours, with a median time of 43 minutes.
The study found students picked up their phones a media of 51 times per day, though pickup amounts ranged from two to 498 times per day, K-12 Dive reports.