Schools are in a battle with cell phones to keep students engaged

Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the “gradual apathy pandemic” when she was in eighth grade. She saw that only a few classmates signed up for service projects she organized at her Massachusetts school, and even fewer actually participated. When she started high school last fall, Isabella found the problem had worsened. Spirit Week was lackluster, and in her classes, students rarely spoke up.

In some ways, it’s as if students “just care less and less about what people think, but also somehow care more,” said Isabella, who is now 14. She observed that some teens no longer care about appearing disengaged, while others are so worried about ridicule that they keep to themselves. She attributes this to social media and the lingering effects of post-COVID isolation.

Cell phone addiction and less engaged students

Educators are finding that their traditional lesson plans are no longer sufficient to keep students engaged, especially in light of declining mental health, shortened attention spans, reduced attendance, and worsening academic performance. 

At the center of these challenges is cell phone addiction. Now, adults are trying new approaches to combat this disengagement.

While cell phone bans are becoming more common, many believe they aren’t enough. They advocate for alternative forms of stimulation, such as encouraging outdoor activities or extracurriculars to occupy time that might otherwise be spent online. 

Additionally, they emphasize the need for safe spaces where students can discuss sensitive topics without the fear of being “canceled” on social media.

Enforcing school bans on devices

“To get students engaged now, you have to be very, very creative,” said Wilbur Higgins, lead English teacher at Dartmouth High School, where Isabella will be a sophomore this fall.

Cell phone pouches, lockers, and bins are increasingly being used to enforce device bans.

John Nguyen, a chemistry teacher in California, developed a pouch system after becoming distressed by bullying and fights on phones during class, often without adult intervention. According to Nguyen, many teachers are hesitant to confront students using phones during lessons, and some have given up trying altogether.

At Nguyen’s school, students lock their phones in neoprene pouches during classes or even for the entire day. The pouches can only be unlocked by a teacher or principal using a magnetic key.

“There’s nothing that can compete with the cell phone,” no matter how dynamic the lesson, Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now markets the pouches to other schools, said.

Competing with cell phones after hours

Some schools are also locking up smartwatches and wireless headphones, but the pouches lose their effectiveness once the school day ends.

In Spokane, Washington, schools are enhancing extracurricular activities to compete with phones after hours.

A new initiative, “Engage IRL” – in real life – aims to provide every student with something to look forward to after the school day, whether it’s a sport, performing arts, or a club.

“Isolating in your home every day after school for hours on end on a personal device has become normalized,” said Superintendent Adam Swinyard.

Extra incentive to keep students engaged

Students can create clubs around interests like board games and knitting or join neighborhood basketball leagues. Teachers will help students plan their involvement during back-to-school conferences, according to the district.

“From 3 to 5:30 you are in a club, you’re in a sport, you’re at an activity,” instead of on a phone, Swinyard said. The district has a new ban on phones during class, but will allow them after school.

At a time when absenteeism is high, Swinyard hopes these activities will give students an extra incentive to attend school. A Gallup poll conducted last November found that only 48% of middle and high school students felt motivated to go to school, and only 52% felt they did something interesting every day. 

Limited reach of after-school activities 

Vivian Mead, a rising senior in Spokane, said that while more after-school activities help, they won’t appeal to everyone. “There’s definitely still some people who just want to be alone, listen to their music, do their own thing, or, like, be on their phone,” said Vivian, 17.

Her 15-year-old sister, Alexandra, noted that morning advisory sessions have improved participation in the drama club that keeps the sisters busy. “It forces everyone, even if they don’t want to get involved, to have to try something, and maybe that clicks,” she said.

Thirteen middle schools in Maine have taken a similar approach, bringing students outdoors for a combined 35,000 hours during a selected week in May.

Connecting with nature instead of cell phones

Tim Pearson, a physical education and health teacher, believes it’s empowering for students to connect with each other in nature, away from screens. His students at Dedham School participated in the statewide “Life Happens Outside” challenge.

Teachers adapted their lessons to be taught outdoors, and students bonded during lunch and recess in the open air. At night, about half of Dedham’s students camped out, encouraged by the promise of a pizza party. Some students even camped out again after the challenge.

“Whether they had phones with them or not, they’re building fires, they’re putting up their tents,” Pearson said. “They’re doing things outside that obviously are not on social media or texting.”

Cell phone habits start at home

Some teachers argue that parents also need to adjust their family’s cell phone habits. At home, Ohio teacher Aaron Taylor bans cell phones when his own children have friends over.

He also believes that parents shouldn’t distract their kids with check-in texts during the school day.

“Students are so tied to their families,” said Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School near Columbus. “There’s this anxiety of not being able to contact them, rather than appreciating the freedom of being alone for eight hours or with your friends.”

The fear of being canceled

Others believe that the divisive political climate, amplified by cell phone use, is a significant factor in teen disengagement. Some students are reluctant to participate in class discussions, fearing that anything they say could quickly spread through messaging apps and lead to them being “canceled.”

For instance, Taylor’s high school English students have told him they don’t speak up in class because they fear being “canceled” – a term used for public figures who are silenced or boycotted after expressing offensive opinions or speech.

“I’m like, ‘Well, who’s canceling you? And why would you be canceled? We’re talking about ‘The Great Gatsby,’ not some controversial political topic,” Taylor said.

Students “get very, very quiet” when topics such as sexuality, gender, or politics come up in novels, said Higgins, the Massachusetts English teacher. “Eight years ago, you had hands shooting up all over the place. Nobody wants to be labeled a certain way anymore or to be ridiculed or to be called out for politics.”

Anonymous online engagement for students

To address this, Higgins uses websites like Parlay that allow students to engage in online discussions anonymously. While the services are costly, Higgins believes the increased class engagement justifies the expense.

“I can see who they are when they’re responding to questions and things, but other students can’t see,” Higgins said. “That can be very, very powerful.”

Alarmed by her peers’ disengagement, Isabella, Higgins’ student, wrote an opinion piece for her school’s newspaper.

“Preventing future generations from joining this same downward cycle is up to us,” she wrote.

However, a comment on the post highlighted the challenge and what’s at stake. “All in all,” the commenter wrote, “why should we care?”

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