Why go phone free?
Evidence shows that limiting access to smartphones at school helps children and teens develop and grow
What’s the deal?
A growing body of scientific research suggests that having smartphones in schools leads to three negative outcomes:
Screens act as a distraction in classrooms - leading to less learning
Kids tend to prefer screens over socializing, and invest less in friendships
Kids can get exposed to harmful content on other kids’ devices
“Schools should ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences.”
— U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
Where can I read the evidence for myself?
Some great resources are:
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
The After Babel blog
The blogpost ‘Should Schools Ban Phones?’
Do read to find out more!
Source: Phone Free Schools Movement
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by ‘smartphones’?
When we talk about smartphones, we mean devices that can be used to browse the internet, including social media. We aren’t talking about smartwatches, e-readers, or mobile phones without internet access (dumbphones). There isn’t much evidence that these, non-internet enabled devices, cause a problem.
Why can’t teachers make up their own classroom rules on this?
Teachers are concerned about this problem too. In a 2023 study, 72% of high school teachers said students being distracted by their phones was a “major problem” in their classroom. Of course, teachers should be consulted on new rules within the Kirkwood School District. But a district-wide policy, with support from administrators, will mean that individual teachers don’t feel alone.
Are smartphones really that bad?
No smarphones are great! We use them, and we want our kids to learn to use them in ways that benefit them. But kids growing brains aren’t that great at self-regulation yet, and so we want to help them to learn to have healthy boundaries.