Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the “pandemic of gradual apathy” in eighth grade. She saw that few classmates were signing up for the service projects she organized at her Massachusetts school, and even fewer were actually participating. When she entered high school last fall, Isabella found the problem had worsened. Spirit week was lackluster, and students rarely spoke up in her classes.
In some ways, it’s as if students are “caring less and less about what people think, but somehow more,” says Isabella, now 14. She’s observed that some teens don’t care if they seem disinterested, while others are so afraid of being ridiculed that they withdraw. She attributes this to social media and the lingering effects of post-COVID isolation.
Cell phone addiction and less engaged students
Educators are finding that their traditional lesson plans are no longer sufficient to maintain student attention, especially in the face of declining mental health, shortened attention spans, lower attendance, and declining academic performance.
At the heart of these challenges is mobile phone addiction. Adults are now trying to counteract this lack of interest with new approaches.
Although cell phone bans are becoming more common, many believe they are not enough and advocate for alternative forms of stimulation, such as encouraging outdoor or extracurricular activities to fill the time that would otherwise be spent online.
They also emphasize the need for safe spaces where students can discuss sensitive topics without fear of being “canceled” on social media.
Enforcement of device bans in schools
“To motivate students today, you have to be very, very creative,” says Wilbur Higgins, an English teacher at Dartmouth High School, where Isabella will be a sophomore in the fall.
Cell phone cases, lockers and containers are increasingly being used to enforce device bans.
John Nguyen, a chemistry teacher in California, developed a bag system after suffering bullying and phone fights during class, which often occurred without adult intervention. According to Nguyen, many teachers are hesitant to confront their students about using phones during class, and some have given up trying altogether.
At Nguyen’s school, students lock their phones in neoprene bags during class or even for the entire day. The bags can only be opened by a teacher or principal with a magnetic key.
“There is nothing that can compete with the mobile phone,” no matter how dynamic the lessons are, says Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now markets the bags to other schools.
Competition with mobile phones after work
Some schools also lock smartwatches and wireless headphones, but these bags lose their effectiveness after school ends.
In Spokane, Washington, schools are increasing their extracurricular offerings to combat after-school phone use.
The new “Engage IRL” initiative aims to give every student something to look forward to after the school day, be it sports, performing arts or a club.
“Isolating at home with a personal device for hours every day after school has become the norm,” said Superintendent Adam Swinyard.
Students can start clubs around interests such as board games and knitting or join basketball leagues in their neighborhood. According to the district, teachers will help students plan their involvement during back-to-school conferences.
“From 3 to 5:30 p.m., you’re in a club, you’re playing a sport, you’re participating in an activity” instead of on the phone, Swinyard said. The district has enacted a new ban on phones during class, but will allow them after school.
At a time when absenteeism rates are high, Swinyard hopes these activities will give students an extra incentive to go to school. A Gallup poll conducted last November found that only 48% of middle and high school students felt motivated to go to school, and only 52% felt like they did something interesting every day.
Limited scope of extracurricular activities
Vivian Mead, a rising senior from Spokane, said that while more extracurricular activities are helpful, they aren’t for everyone. “There are definitely still some people who just want to be alone, listen to music, do their own thing or be on the phone,” said Vivian, 17.
Her 15-year-old sister Alexandra noticed that the morning counseling sessions have improved participation in the drama club that keeps the sisters busy. “It forces everyone to try something, even if they don’t want to join, and maybe something will click,” she said.
Thirteen middle schools in the state of Maine are taking a similar approach, getting their students outdoors for a total of 35,000 hours during a select week in May.
Connecting with nature instead of mobile phones
Tim Pearson, a physical education and health teacher, believes it is empowering for students to connect with one another in nature, away from screens. His students at Dedham School took part in the nationwide Life Happens Outside challenge.
Teachers adapted their classes to take place outdoors, and students socialized outside during lunch and recess. In the evenings, about half of Dedham’s students camped outside, encouraged by the prospect of a pizza party. Some students even camped outside again after the challenge.
“Whether they had phones or not, they were lighting fires and setting up tents,” Pearson said. “They’re out doing things that obviously have nothing to do with social media or texting.”
Cell phone habits start at home
Some teachers argue that parents also need to change their family’s cell phone habits. At home, Ohio teacher Aaron Taylor bans cell phones when his own children have friends over.
He also believes that parents should not distract their children with text check-in messages during the school day.
“Students are so tied to their families,” says Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School near Columbus. “There’s this fear of not being able to contact them, instead of enjoying the freedom of being alone or with friends for eight hours.”
The fear of rejection
Others believe the divisive political climate, exacerbated by cellphone use, is a major factor in youth lack of participation. Some students are reluctant to participate in class discussions for fear that whatever they say will spread quickly through messaging apps and result in a “cancellation.”
For example, Taylor’s high school English students told him that they don’t speak up in class because they’re afraid of being “canceled” – a term used for public figures who are silenced or boycotted after expressing offensive opinions or speech.
“I thought to myself, ‘So who’s painting you? And why? We’re talking about ‘The Great Gatsby’ here, not a controversial political issue,'” Taylor said.
Students “get very, very quiet” when topics like sexuality, gender or politics are addressed in novels, says Higgins, the Massachusetts English teacher. “Eight years ago, hands went up everywhere. Nobody wants to be pushed in a certain direction or ridiculed or called out for their politics anymore.”
Anonymous online engagement for students
To solve this problem, Higgins uses websites like Parlay, which allow students to participate in online discussions anonymously. While these services are expensive, Higgins believes the increased participation in class justifies the cost.
“I can see who they are when they answer questions and things like that, but other students can’t see that,” Higgins said. “That can be very, very powerful.”
Isabella, Higgins’ student, was alarmed by the lack of participation of her classmates and wrote an op-ed for the school newspaper.
“It is up to us to prevent future generations from falling into the same downward cycle,” she wrote.
However, a comment under the post highlighted the challenge and what is at stake. “All in all,” the commenter wrote, “why should we care?”
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