IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) is in the process of revamping its technology policy. On Tuesday, school board members met to discuss solutions to what they see as a major problem: cell phones.
As part of this process, members of the School Board have read The fearful generationa book that examines the relationship between smartphone/social media use and young people’s mental health.
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, 42 percent of teens experienced “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in 2021, up from 28 percent in 2011.
The fearful generation argues that these and many other statistics have their origins in how phones affect a child’s social and neurological development.
Board members added that classroom dynamics have also changed as a result of children’s dependence on phones.
“When I look at the teachers, I can see that cell phones in the building are a mood killer,” says Mitch Lingo, a school board member.
The question these officials focused on at their meeting on Tuesday was: What can they actually do about it?
“I don’t want us to end up with a policy that we can’t implement,” said ICCSD Superintendent Matt Degner.
“The solution to this problem cannot be teachers’ struggle in the classroom alone,” added Board Vice President Molly Abraham.
The board members were clear that tighter restrictions on cell phones or a ban on them would be a change to the status quo. At the moment they have no concrete answers as to how this could be done. Only questions, ideas and the conviction that something has to change.
“Sometimes we have to protect children from harm, even if it is uncomfortable for adults,” said board member Lisa Williams, citing The fearful generation.
Board members said they would continue their discussion and ask more questions during a work session on Sept. 10.
A final decision on an updated telephone policy is not expected until October.
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