For the first time in over 20 years, St. Benedict’s Prep students will not have access to their phones during the school day. Our 2023-2024 leadership team has decided to implement a controversial, although beneficial policy regarding taking away phones for the school day. No one likes getting their phone taken away from them, especially not teenagers who spend most of their time on it. However, getting phones taken away benefits our development in our education, community and also as teenagers.
During our teenage years, we are growing and developing our minds and bodies, which can be altered by the technology that we use. This, along with many other reasons, is why taking away phones is a rational idea. Preventative medicine teacher, Ben Clay, says, “Cellular devices give us a false sense of reality, especially in terms of social media. It can make us think that certain lifestyles are optimal for everyone.”
According to research done by the PEW Research Center, “About a third of teens (36%) say they spend too much time on social media, while 55% say they spend about the right amount of time there and just 8% say they spend too little time.” There are many more objectives you can accomplish when you don’t have the distraction of your phone. You are forced out of your comfort zone and required to interact when you don’t have access to your phone.
“Not having my phone during the school day is better for me mentally. Especially for my health, because of the screen time, TikTok and all of these social media apps. You try to spend 10 minutes on TikTok, you’re going to end up being there for like 3 hours,” states Merlin Dilone a UDII at St. Benedict’s Prep. The students are also receiving higher grades for their classes as they are forced to pay attention without the distraction of the notifications they receive from their phones.
At the Leahy House, students from many backgrounds are able to dorm. However, the students are under strict rules in the House. One of these rules is taking away phones at certain periods of time. The House leaders take away phones when they walk in so students can focus on studying and communicating while eating. Habits like these are dying because of the digital culture we live in.
Sean Cruz UDII at St. Benedict’s and one of the leaders of the Leahy House, discusses the phone policy by saying, “It takes a lot of distractions away and it gives [us] time and it forces [us] to focus on what we’re supposed to be focused on, whether it’s studying, doing homework, communicating with others…it makes the House more social.”
Not only has this transition supported the academic portion of St. Benedict’s Prep, but also the community aspect that is customary to our school. The students are not on their devices anymore instead, they are talking with each other and involving themselves in all portions of the community.
The Girls Division has also been having benefits ever since this phone policy was implemented. The Senior Group Leader of the Girls Division, Lucia Gallo, says, “I think we’ve really established a better relationship with each other. Even during lunchtime, we’re able to have a conversation about things that normally phones would take the presence of. We’re able to sit down and actually talk while we eat and people aren’t drawn automatically to their phones.”
Instead of having your entire social life on your phone, students can communicate with others better and build their communication skills. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the communal aspects of the school such as group and lunch have not been the same. There have been many scenarios where there would be multiple people on their phones during lunch and especially during Group. People lost connection with each other and their Groups because of their phones. Since phones and social media have been eliminated, we have been more involved with each other and the community. There has been much more activity within Groups and lunch time has been more calm and collected.
Now, there is one disadvantage of this policy that is commonly talked about which is phones in the instance of an emergency. There may be a family matter that is urgent or you may need to get in contact with someone for a health emergency. Samara Saint-Juste a UDII at St. Benedict’s Prep states, “I personally think that it’s not very smart because having your phone in class is easy access just in case an emergency happens.”
Many believe this to be the reason that we should get our phones back, but we have moderators and adults always around who you can get to and if not, you can always run to the front desk. The advantages-to-disadvantage ratio is vast, but I believe that this policy is not only helpful to our community, but also here to stay, which many others could agree with.
The Senior Group Leader of the Boys Division, Jayden Forniel SY states, “…you never really expect a 100% approval rate . . . There has been some backlash. Ultimately, people have to understand that we’re looking out for their best interests. We’re working to make the community a better place and eliminating phones was a big part of that. Now, it is a much more intimate experience when we’re not tethered to our phones.”
