The first few weeks of school have been tough for most students. With the new phone policy, students can’t use their phone outside of lunch.

Most students were devastated as the year previously, they were able to use their phones in school, as long as they were put away during instruction. Now, students have to rely on their Chromebooks for communication and entertainment.

However, many students see the new phone policy as a good thing.
Some students are able to function better without their phone by paying better attention in class and getting their work done faster.

But, many students may find this as a deal breaker, for example, some students use their phone as a way to self-regulate. Many students depend on their phone for socializing and happiness. Students affected may experience withdrawal and low self esteem. Especially with students who struggle with socializing.

On the positive side, students may have found an increase in productivity, and some might have found that the new phone policy has made them work harder than previous school years.
“I definitely pay more attention because I’m not on my phone, I think I’m working a lot harder,” freshman Elliot Cardwell said.

The new phone policy has proven to give students more motivation, students are now paying attention and learning. Students are also rebuilding their attention span.

Many students have found the new phone policy to be refreshing, some students are pleased to have no phones at school, this leads students to only focus on school.

Along with the policy has been the worry that more students would skip class.
“I have not noticed a lot of kids skipping class. I thought that there would be an uptick in kids going to the bathroom to try and use their phone while in the bathroom” Behavioral Support Administrator Maggie Gibeau said.

With the new phone policy students have been socializing more and making new friends, rather than skipping class and going to the bathroom to hang out with friends, or just in general to use their phone.

The no phone rule works best when you don’t have your phone in front or near you. It makes the temptations go away.

When you know your phone is put somewhere away, your brain tends to lose focus on it.
“I think that we’re all benefiting from it, not just as teachers and having less distractions in the classroom, but the students, being able to focus and engage with each other, has definitely been a huge improvement” psychology teacher Kimberly Falvey said.

Many teachers have also joined the no phone rule. Many [teachers] have locked their phones in their desk drawer until their lunch period or at the end of the day.

Furthermore, to understand why the new phone policy has taken such a positive light, would stem from social media being somewhat of a negative space. Some students seek validation on social media only to receive cruel and hateful comments. Many students spend most of their time on social media making it hard to quit, leading to severe mental health problems.

The article “Screen Time and the Brain” by Harvard Medical School talks about how phones can be disruptive to ones [students’] sleep.
“A good night’s sleep is also key to brain development, and HMS researchers have shown that using blue light-emitting screen devices like smartphones before bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing secretion of the hormone melatonin” (Bradley Ruder, 3).

In addition to the negative impacts phones bring, it has been known that some students face phone withdrawal symptoms, and are mentally battling the new phone policy.

The new phone policy has taken a hit to those students who are used to being on their phone every second of the day.
“The way having no phones impacted my school work ability is that I’ve become much more bored in classes,” sophomore Cherry Ha said. “As a student who completes their work early and typically has no missing or upcoming assignments to do,” she added.

If you’re struggling and going through withdrawal because of the new phone policy, consider getting help. You can talk to your counselor or you could talk to the school psychologist. They’re always going to be there to help you.

If you have trouble speaking to people in person, you can use Hazel. Hazel Health is partnered with FCPS, to help make students’ mental health better.
They are licensed mental health therapists, and do virtual appointments.