A topic of discussion sweeping the nation in recent years, including inside Flint Hill, has been the topic of phones in schools. Some empirical studies support the idea that banning phones in schools is academically beneficial, though findings have been mixed. As a result, calls for phone bans have been increasingly popular among teachers and parents alike. At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Head of Upper School Don Paige began grade-level discussions with grades 9-12 in an effort to better understand the students’ perspectives.
What ensued over the next semester was a great deal of anticipation, with little to no new information. Finally, the administration announced the “new” phone policy at the start of the second semester: students would be required to put their phones in the caddies for each class without exception. This was essentially the old phone policy with more enforcement, so naturally, students and teachers were confused by the semester-long process that led up to this conclusion.
Before sharing my thoughts, it’s important to note that the administration likely anticipated this response, so I commend them for staying true to a policy they believe in. Moreover, appreciating how difficult it is to achieve an agreeable outcome in this situation is necessary for productive cooperation. However, issues with this policy have immediately arisen: certain classes are supported by phone use, like in art, which allows for easier access and use of references, or some English classes, which have integrated music into the curriculum. Furthermore, it is my opinion that this policy teaches obedience over self-regulation. Under such restrictions, are students more likely to comply or rebel? After graduating, will they be any better at moderating their phone use?
My suggestion, acknowledging how polarised the adult and student perspectives are, is to give each teacher complete authority over phone use in their class. In the first semester, this was how the school operated, which, in my opinion, yielded the most sensible outcome. Ultimately, there is only so much control that can be effectively leveraged over a person before they begin to resent it. Self-regulation is a choice that starts from within and is only degraded by blanket policies like these. If parents have personal concerns, it is within their discretion to take away their child’s phone or impose some other limit.
