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do, and phone-free schools simply make it easier to do so. Nagging over the phone should not be part of the learning equation, nor should the responsibility to police cell phones ever be on teachers. Removing students’ access to phones will improve academic outcomes, behavior infractions, and overall mental health. There are few negatives to a teenager having a break from their cell phone while in school. For many, it may likely be the only seven hours of the day they are not using their phone. What is the purpose of education? Ask anyone and you will likely receive a different answer every time. Years ago, I was presented the question at Indiana State University as a preliminary step to earning my doctorate. My response was this: “The purpose of education is to be a consumer of knowledge. In becoming educated (by learning), one is continuously improving as an individual thus improving their quality of life. Education prepares quality citizens to become productive members of society.” While your response may vary, we can all agree that cell phones in schools hinder students becoming consumers of knowledge, improving their quality of life, and becoming a productive member of society. In fact, they do the exact opposite. Let’s put the phones away in schools and return the focus to teaching and learning. That is what our students need and deserve.

opposed to teaching and learning. The social emotional ramifications are also felt as being a teenager is now harder than it has ever been. The rising demand for social emotional services in our schools would undoubtedly lessen if students had less access to screen time. Last May (2023), U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects of social media use on youth mental health, indicating “there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.” Students with cell phones in classrooms are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. The social media distraction is a root cause of mental health issues in our students today. We see this both inside and outside of schools through rising rates of depression, anxiety, and self harm. Snapchat and Tik Tok, among others, have infiltrated our students’ minds, which are not fully developed. Creating boundaries with cell phones can offer more students the opportunity to have a positive school experience. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in Congress to require a federal study on the effects of cellphone use in schools on students’ mental health and academic performance. As much as it pains me to write it, if we don’t get a grip on this, the government is going to do it for us. Surely, we can all agree that teenagers, generally speaking, could use a reduction in their screen time. The idea of phone free schools is positive, not punitive. Schools already strive to create spaces for students to do what they are there to

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