Haidt: Virginia is Leading The Country On How To Go Phone-Free in Schools
Getting phones out of the classroom seems simple, but what does it look like in practice & is it a good thing for students?
Phones in Schools
When my family moved back to Virginia in 2021, I was looking for a lot of things in a school for my kids, but one specific thing was a lack of tablets in the classrooms and students using phones in the hallways. It seems so simple on its face: learning is hard work and internet/wifi connected devices are a distraction. Let’s not try to mix the two and expect good results.
In the late 90’s when I got my first cellphone I routinely left my phone in my car during school (meaning I didn’t even have a phone until after I could drive). What need did I have for a phone during the school day anyway? I saw my friends in class and at lunch. If there was an emergency at school (including a time or two we were rushed to the soccer field because of a bomb threat), my phone was of no use to me. Columbine happened the year before I graduated so my friends and I weren’t naively thinking no harm could befall us, but we weren’t living everyday with a mix of anxiety and fear tethered via our phones to our parents. As Melissa Henson, Vice President of Programs for the Parents Television and Media Council told me, “It’s not your child’s job to keep you calm during an emergency.” As a child, I never thought it was my job. As a parent, I refuse to place that burden on my children.
As phones became less phone-like and more tiny computer in the palm of your hand, the distractions have grown, the addictive nature of always being reachable has increased, and students have become more anxious, depressed, lonely, and suicidal. Parents have become more anxious and fearful. Test scores have dropped. Where do we go from here? The current trajectory isn’t sustainable.
Virginia Schools Go Phone-Free
Jonathan Haidt made waves this spring when he called for schools to go phone-free in his NYTimes Bestseller The Anxious Generation. In a live stream on September 19 Haidt, along with Suzanne Youngkin, wife to Virginia’s Governor, spoke to citizens across the Commonwealth. They spoke about the social deprivation and attention fragmentation experienced by children growing up with a phone-based childhood and the rapid mobilization of parents and schools wanting to implement change. Myriad schools have already taken proactive steps in this direction, but Haidt has been our megaphone, for which I am grateful. Mrs. Youngkin was a delight, full of encouragement, challenges and thoughtful questions for Haidt about his four action steps. After the live stream, attendees across Virginia were encouraged to participate in group discussion. In my corner of Virginia we had an engaging conversation which spilled into the parking lot.
So, what is a phone-free school? It is one where students do not have access to a phone (smartphone, talk/text phone, smartwatch, etc.) during the entire school day, from the time first period starts to when the final bell rings. This is often called a “bell to bell” policy or “away for the day” policy. (Many authors, administrators, and school districts say they are phone-free but what they actually mean is that students aren’t supposed to use their phones when the teacher is talking.)
After months of research and data collection, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released his Cellphone-Free Education Final Guidance on Resources on September 16. These recommendations are not codified, but the minimum recommendations should be implemented by January 2025. The main points:
Kindergarten - 5th Grade: cellphones and personal electronic communication devices are not to be used on school grounds or in the building.
Middle & High School (6th -12th): students may not use cellphones and personal electronic communication devices from the time school starts to ends (including lunch and in between class time).
Middle School (6th-8th): school districts will need to craft policies on if/how students may use devices before or after school, on school grounds, including field trips & time on the bus.
High School (9-12th): students may use cellphones and personal electronic devices before or after school.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of the Governor’s listening events this summer hosted by Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons as well as a session for faith leaders in Virginia. It has been a delight to see the care and concern the Governor’s office put into hearing from Virginia residents and I am very pleased with the outcome. As stated in the final guidance:
Polling was also released by the Washington Post-Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University poll on Friday, September 13 showing that 69% of Virginia parents of school-aged children support cell phone-free education, including during lunch and class breaks. This aligns with the overall broad, bi-partisan feedback the department received during the months of July through September.
A few years ago, we weren’t even asking questions like this. Something has shifted in culture and it is good. Christians, we need to be championing phone-free schools across the country, not only in Virginia.
I spoke with Arlet Greer, School Board member in Franklin County, Virginia. In 2022, she worked to have phones banned during the day in middle school mostly due to the addictive nature of phones and the distraction they posed in the classroom. High school students were still allowed to use their phones, though not during instructional time. Enforcement of that policy was proving difficult as individual teachers each handled their classrooms different. Ultimately, Greer saw that the current high school phone policy wasn’t working because of its inconsistency. The Franklin County Schools Policy Committee went about crafting a standard of rules and consequences that would return the focus of the school day to education and in-person socialization between classes and during lunch. Greer told me that social media access was a distraction too great for most students to manage on their own. Teenagers needed adults to create a better school environment. The new policy means that phones are turned off completely and put away, including smartwatches and other personal electronic devices. If a student has a medical need, like diabetes management, the school will make an allowance for a smartphone to be left on. Teachers are allowed to keep their phones on silent mode but may not use them while students are present. Consistency and modeling of the expectations was key for Greer. So far, the policy is working well. In fact, according to Greer, students report “they are enjoying their interaction with their peers.” This is the type of positive outcome school districts across the state should expect after implementing the Governor’s guidance by January.
National Resources For You & Your State
How can other states follow the lead of Virginia? Check out these resources:
The Phone-Free Schools Movement: After a year of research on best practices and implementation, one of my advocacy colleagues Kim Whitman and others have created the most comprehensive plan on why and how to go phone-free in school. I proudly serve as an Ambassador for the PFSM. All of their resources are 100% free and simple to follow. Check them out and send to your school board and principals.
Want to know where your state stands on this issue? In July, The Parents Television and Media Council, released a comprehensive guide to what is happening state-by-state in regard to school phone policies. Melissa Henson shared with me her hopes that this guide will inform parents on how to push for change in their communities. “The reason kids are pulling out phones is because there is nobody to talk to.” When all students are bared from using phones during the day, the return to in-person communication helps students combat feelings of anxiety and loneliness and schools see fewer discipline problems as well. This resource is full of data, answers to common objections, and more.
- with the Ethics & Public Policy Center released a policy memo with a great FAQ’s, such as “What about emergency situations, like a school shooter?” These are real questions parents and teachers should be asking. We need to be able to address them confidently and honestly, based upon data, and not from a place of fear. Morell write, “Studies show all students, both with and without smartphones, suffer academically with phones in the classroom.” Students also suffer socially and emotionally when phones are a major part of their day. Removing phones from the school day is vital to helping young people thrive.
- author writes about how “Something good is happening around the world” in her Several Countries Limit Digital Media for Kids article earlier this month.
Cris Rowan, an Occupational Therapist in Canada, and outspoken proponent of kids not having smartphones and personal devices shared this article about the improvements occurring in Canada. She wrote to me, “I actually cried when I read this! I'm sooo happy!!! Bell-to-bell, 7 am - 6 pm, includes all on-site areas and off-site events”, meaning students can’t use personal devices on school busses, field trips, etc.
My friend and fellow advocate on all things kids & screen time, Laura Derrendinger, sent me this article about schools going phone-free in her home state of Vermont. “The response was so overwhelmingly in favor of banning the devices that (the local Superintendent) took it as ‘almost a mandate’ to do so,” states the news piece.
When schools go phone-free, students do better. They do better academically, socially and emotionally. See what students, and Jonathan Haidt, have to see on this Today Show clip
Dear Christian Parent, each of us are image bearers of our Lord, made by a triune God for community. Helping our our kids and teens learn how to exist in community is one of the biggest blessings we can give them. Schools should be places where students are free to learn and socialize, not isolate and distract. As we remove phones from schools, we also need to remove them from our houses of worship and youth group gatherings. We need to to teach kids (and adults!) that real, in-person, embodied experiences far surpass anything we can do on a screen. Will you contact your legislators, school board members, youth leaders, pastors and teachers and voice your support on kids’ behalf? For the sake of our children, let aim to build our cities for good.
