Not only did the new school year bring new faces and classes, it brought an official rule for phones during class.
The idea is simple; during class, students are expected to put their phones in their assigned caddies or their bags (depending on the teacher), but when class is over, students can use their phones between classes and at lunch.
The caddies prevent phones from becoming a distraction in class, while still allowing students to keep track of important information they access on their phones.
Sophomore Abbey Minton thinks the policy is effective.
“It stopped a lot of kids from being on their phones during class,” Minton said. “I remember in my math class last year, there would be countless students who would be playing Brawl Stars or something while the teacher was trying to give a lesson.”
Senior Hari Ghatpande also agrees with the phone policy. He thinks that students don’t feel that strongly about not having their phones, and instead are fine with being with their friends.
“It hasn’t made that much of an impact on my experience, because I usually don’t use my phone that much,” Ghatpande said. “People still will find fun things to do in class… If people don’t want to be locked in [during] class, they’re not going to be locked in [during] class.”
Similarly to Ghatpande, social studies teacher Mr. Jeffrey Kahn believes that nothing can be done to stop students from getting distracted, but taking away phones does improve concentration.
“They’re paying more attention,” Kahn said. “When I look out at them, they’re looking at me.”
English teacher Mr. Matthew Wood agrees that the new phone policy has had a positive effect.
“People are much more present in class than they were with that potential distraction, right? So with that out of the way, completely, I found a great improvement and focus with participation,” Wood said.
Minton initially found the policy frustrating, but was able to adapt.
“Though I initially had some complaints about it, I think it has helped a number of students in our school be able to stay more focused,” Minton said. “The thing I miss most is being able to listen to music while I work, but that is something that I will have to get used to.”
Freshman Veer Bhandar appreciates the caddies, which were given to all teachers at the start of the year.
“It encourages more people to put [their phone] in there and not use their phone,” Bhandar said. “And I’d also say that it also helps with just being more attentive in class. I feel like it’s nice to have a pocket for your phone during class and then [have] the ability to use it in between classes and during lunch. I think there’s a good balance.”
In previous years, the caddies were not something that all teachers had or enforced. Last year, Haven focused on a ‘Screens Off, Minds On’ policy.
“I think last year definitely, there was literally no effect…It was just kind of something that people said,” Ghatpande said. “I think now it is definitely noticeable that people aren’t having their phones. But I don’t think not having your phones is making that big of an effect in the classroom.”
Some students argue that phones are important to communicate with their families. Kahn highlights the shared responsibility between teachers and families.
“I think [regulating phone use] is really hard, I know as a parent,” Kahn said. “But it’s also a thing that we all have to work on, and I think parents do have responsibility for that too. In the building, though, if teachers keep it away, then parents just have to not be calling and make the kids go to their phone.”
Ghatpande feels that regulating phone use will not immediately solve broader issues, such as cyberbullying or screen addiction, since he believes that it won’t stop students from continuing those problems at home.
Instead, he believes that school should be focusing on digital literacy and activities such as Wellness Wednesday to promote healthy habits.
“I think education is more of the focus of school,” Ghatpande said. “That’s something that schools should do, instead of trying to just take control over how students feel when they’re at school. I think educating students about the dangers of being online is going to have a more palpable impact in the students’ life than just not letting them have their phones on school campus.”
