We have spent the last few months talking to local school district administrators and teachers about the issue and trying – sometimes unsuccessfully – to gather input from students and parents.

Most local schools have a “off and on” policy, which means that students must have their cell phones/personal devices turned off (or on silent) and put away during the entire class time.

Some are beginning to implement stricter policies and consequences for cell phone misuse, while others are implementing new features in the classroom to physically separate students from their devices.

Many schools, including the Peoria School District and Williams Intermediate School in Davenport, require students to lock their phones in Yondr bags for part or all of the school day.

The cellphone-free school movement is now gaining ground nationwide. Some of the largest school districts in the US – Los Angeles and New York City – are planning to implement cellphone bans.

There are already discussions locally about banning cell phones. The Moline High School administration plans to consider this option for the 2025/26 school year. However, many school administrators and parents in the Quad Cities are not yet sure whether they will go down this path.

Much of the existing research links cell phone use to things like loss of learning, retention, and engagement among students—even college-age students. A 2018 study from Rutgers University found that cell phone distractions can lead to poorer end-of-semester test scores.

A fall 2019 study found that spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of mental health impairment, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. In 2015, the Journal of Media Education found that 60% of students reported spending more than 10% of class time on their phones in 2015.

Still, many – including our local sources – believe there should be a “middle ground” when it comes to regulating cell phone use in school, especially for academic purposes, if teachers deem it appropriate.

Peter Gray, a research professor specializing in child psychology at Boston College, initially told Axios that he would not want his phone – “the most powerful educational tool we have” – ​​taken away from him.

“If we think we can solve the problem by taking away kids’ cell phones, that’s not the case,” he said. “If anything, we’re just reinforcing their fears.”

So how should schools deal with cell phone use? Now, I’m not a parent, a principal, or a student – but I just devoted a good portion of my summer to this very topic, and here’s my take:

Studies and reports make it clear that mobile phones do not offer much added value in the classroom.

Aside from factors such as learning loss and lack of student engagement, mobile phone use – and social media in particular – can have a negative impact on students’ mental health.

So, to echo the words of East Moline Superintendent Kristin Humphries, why don’t we eliminate these potential negative aspects during the 6-7 hours that kids spend in school? School is for learning anyway.

However, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to give teachers some discretion when it comes to cell phone use in class. However, there needs to be a clear line between acceptable use and abuse.

And while I know students may not like it, I believe there must be strict and consistent consequences for blatant abuse. If that is not the case, it will be difficult for schools to truly curb students’ cell phone addiction or dependence.

I think it is fair to give students a first reminder on the “first offense,” but if they continue to not put their phones away and/or use the devices appropriately, I believe they should at least be disciplined.

The part about “consistency” is important here – I know this because I was a student, not to long time ago. I can remember my classmates (even myself) secretly checking their phones during class or occasionally putting the “earpiece through the sleeve”.

Many children take every opportunity to access their phone/personal device, so schools need to set clear policies for them from the start and take steps to ensure that misuse is consistently dealt with.

But as Dylan Lukes, a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, found in his 2022 doctoral dissertation, it is important to ensure that punishments do not outweigh the distractions caused by the abuse.

While it is bad if a student is constantly distracted by their cell phone at school, is it an appropriate response to expel (suspend) that student? I would say no.

(Of course, the situation described above may vary, but I am speaking generally here.)

In many of these cases, detention would suffice, but I also believe that students should use their time productively during this period.

North Scott’s digital citizenship framework or other digital safety lessons – like the Be Internet Awesome program – are good examples of what students could work on during a cell phone detention. This way, schools can try to correct these behaviors while teaching students how to use technology properly and safely.

These are just my ideas on how schools can productively curb cell phone distractions/abuse. Take them as you will. As technology continues to grow and innovate, this topic will evolve as well.

Regardless, communication and cooperation between school management, teachers and families is crucial – I would therefore like to emphasize this.