Across the country, schools and districts are grappling with the issue of cell phone use1 in the classroom and on campus. A number of states have passed legislation that bans or curtails cell phone use in schools citing concerns about behavioral issues, digital literacy, and student mental health, as detailed in a US Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory2 on the impact of social media on young people. Yet there are valid concerns over removing phones from the classroom, as well, including student safety and accessibility.
Alliance Senior Teaching Fellow Jennifer Cerny, a High School Humanities teacher in Culver, Indiana, developed an innovative solution for her school. Instead of creating a cell phone policy for students, they would create one with them. This gave students ownership over an important matter in their daily lives while learning how policy decisions are made. Students develop applied decision-making skills, self-discipline, and responsible technology use—skills that will benefit them well beyond the classroom.
1Pew Research (2024)June 12, 2024. 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cell phone distraction is a major problem in the classroom. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/
2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory. Office of the Surgeon General. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
Objectives
- Students will identify and apply the steps of a decision-making process.
- Students will develop and propose a cell phone policy for their school community.
- Students will defend their argument coherently and with evidence.
