Last year, Santa Rosa’s high schools found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Student fights broke out everywhere and gangs proliferated, while teachers pleaded for curriculum reform to counter what they saw as a growing culture of academic hopelessness.

A growing group of teachers and administrators were convinced that cell phones were a major cause of the problem.

Now, officials at two high schools in Santa Rosa are aiming to implement a zero-tolerance policy toward cell phones when classes resume next week.

There is no discussion yet at the district level, according to a Santa Rosa City Schools representative, but principals at Santa Rosa and Montgomery high schools are joining a growing group of education leaders across the state pointing out the negative impact of cell phones on teens’ mental health.

The data, impact on student learning

In early June, Governor Gavin Newsom called for a statewide ban on cell phones during the school day, citing alarming data showing the impact of cell phones on cyberbullying and school disruption.

An estimated 97% of students use their phones during the school day, according to a recent nationwide study conducted by Common Sense Media in collaboration with the University of Michigan.

According to the study, students spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media, games or other messaging apps during class learning sessions.

“There is a large body of evidence that there are many benefits to students when cell phone use is restricted,” said Mark Ryan, provost of Santa Rosa University. “We believe this will improve student mental health and behavior on campus, improve campus connectivity, and increase positive attitudes and culture on campus.”

When classes begin this week at Santa Rosa High School, all students will be required to turn off their cell phones before each class, a policy common in some of the state’s largest school districts.

Each teacher will have storage compartments outside their classroom where students can keep their phones during class time to prevent temptation.

Eighty-six percent of Santa Rosa High School teachers support the new policy, said English teacher Will Lyon, who pushed for the policy along with a group of concerned teachers.

The call for change began after Lyon and other teachers read Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation.”, which heightened Lyons’ concerns about the emotional and social impact of mobile phones on students’ well-being.

The national bestseller describes the intergenerational impact of cell phones on today’s schoolchildren and how the devices may be contributing to rising teen suicide rates, anxiety and depression symptoms, lack of sleep and lack of concentration.

Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, wrote a comprehensive essay in the New York Times highlighting the negative impacts on mental health.

Among them are teenagers who report that social media has made them feel worse about their bodies, lowered their self-esteem, made them feel “addicted” to their phones and faced constant online bullying.

In the same essay, he called for a warning label: “It is time to require a health ministry warning label on social media platforms indicating that social media is associated with significant harm to the mental health of adolescents,” Murthy wrote.

Rodrick Castro, assistant superintendent of educational services for Santa Rosa City Schools, shares the concern.

“As a father of a middle school student myself, I know that limiting cell phone use and access in the classroom can greatly minimize distractions,” he said.

“For this age group, limiting cell phone use, especially considering the impact of social media, can have a hugely positive effect on students’ self-image, their relationships and the school culture as a whole.”

Santa Rosa Middle School is also considering a zero-tolerance policy, he added.

The academic impacts are also numerous: Lyon has experienced them firsthand in its classrooms in the years since returning to in-person classes after the pandemic.

“(Students are) scattered and distracted and have trouble with face-to-face interactions because they are practicing on the phone instead of learning in real life,” he said. “All of this discourages a focused student who is ready to learn.”

And it doesn’t just affect a single student – ​​an alarming number of students are disinterested and distance themselves from class discussions.

“Kids have trouble talking to each other, and they have trouble speaking in front of the class,” Lyon said. “I’ve had to really fight over the last few years to even get the kids to participate.”

Impact on school culture and behavior

Cell phone use has a greater impact on overall student culture at Montgomery High School, said Principal April Santos.