We are teachers – which is to say that we care about students, who they are and who they are becoming.

Phones lessen belonging, impede learning, and detract from relationships (Haidt, 2024). While smartphones provide many benefits, researchers are now finding that there are also many downsides associated with constant connectivity — especially in adolescence. The US Surgeon General reports that 95% of youth (ages 13-17) are on social media “almost constantly” (Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory). A study from the University of Michigan Medical School (2023) found that teenagers in the US receive an average of 273 notifications a day, and these notifications negatively impact students academically by distracting and robbing them from engagement. Nationally, 97% of students say that they use their phones during school, and only 1.4% of the time is it for educational purposes (Common Sense Media, 2023). The majority of that time is spent on social media (32%), YouTube (25%), and gaming (17%).

In our observation of students here at FRCS, we can attest to the pervasive use of social media and digital interactions during the school day. Though we have not permitted phones to be used in the classroom or in our chapel times, students still frequently engage with their smartphones under the desk, at the lunch table, in the bathroom, in the hallways between classes, and whenever they can steal a moment to look at a screen. If school demands that we prioritize engagement and well-being for each student (Eckert, 2023), then we should get phones out of schools.

At the start of the first period class, students will place their devices in a dedicated container specifically designed for storing phones. These containers will then be brought up to the front desk where they are stored until the end of the school day. If a student leaves during the day (i.e., for a doctor’s appointment or for an athletic event), then they can stop by the front desk and collect their phone on their way out. At the end of the school day, the containers will be brought back to the room where they started, and a teacher will be there to help distribute phones back to students (as well as to chat with students and check in with them, because we believe that relationships help students feel connected — not screens).

The phone-free policy applies to both phones and smartwatches. There is a significant body of research that demonstrates that a smartwatch with the ability to connect to the internet distracts, diminishes, and detracts in much the same way that phones do.  While the policy applies to both phones and smartwatches, we recognize that other computing devices (such as laptops, Chromebooks, and iPads) are useful and sometimes required for school work. The phone-free policy does not apply to these other computing devices. Senior high students are still required to have a computing device to bring to school, and junior high students will have access to FRCS Chromebooks during the school day (we are no longer issuing school-owned iPads).

Parents and guardians can call the front desk at any time (the JRSR office number is 303-979-4582). We have a dedicated phone at the front desk so that students can talk with parents at any point as needed, and we are able to call your student out of class if you need to speak with them about anything urgent. If it is less urgent, you can just ask the front desk to call them down when they are between classes, and we can have them come to the front and call you back when it works best in their schedule.

Sadly, we must think about this as it pertains to schools, and we would be foolish to adopt a policy without carefully considering its impact on safety during emergency situations. We know that mobile phones (speaking here of students with mobile phones) often contribute to the crisis. First response experts (see the FBI protocols for “Run, Hide, Fight”) who work with schools agree that it is safer to limit or omit student cell phone usage in the event of an emergency (they slow students down, make them less focused on the present, less responsive to staff instructions, and more prone to draw unwanted attention to themselves). In the event of an emergency situation, it is better that students stay away from their phones. FRCS will communicate with emergency responders and with families through our dedicated communication system, and we will ensure that each and every student is accounted for.

Students are free to collect their phones as they leave campus. If they are leaving because the day is over, they can collect their phones as part of the redistribution process at the end of the day. If they are leaving before the day is over, they can collect their phones as they sign out at the front desk.

Students are free to collect their phones as the school day ends, and we will not monitor or enforce cell phone restrictions during these after school times. However, we would encourage students to, in general, be on their phones less — and be present with people more.

If you have an ISL that allows you to leave campus or if you leave campus for lunch, then you may collect your phone as part of the sign out process. Otherwise, if you are on campus during the school day, even during an ISL, we want you to focus on connecting with others and studying in a distraction-free environment. Upon returning to school, upperclassmen may choose to leave their phone in their car or check it back in at the front desk.

This is a fantastic question, and it is true that our Student Leadership Coalition (SLC) creates some incredible moments for our students throughout the year. We plan to equip SLC leaders (or designated students) with cameras during these special event times, but we are open to ideas, and would love to hear suggestions. Talk to your SLC leaders or with Mr. Wehr or Ms. Nowlin to share ideas.

The first offense will result in a $15 fee added to your student’s account, and the student will be permitted to collect the phone at the end of the day. Each subsequent offense will result in a $25 fee and a parent will need to collect the phone directly from the principal through an in-person meeting.

Yes. We are tired of seeing students distracted, tired of seeing students looking at a screen rather than playing together, and tired of watching while our students unrealistically compare themselves to others over social media. Students don’t want this (a study from the University of Chicago found that students would prefer to give up their cell phones as long as most of their friends also gave them up). It will take effort on the part of staff (and it will also take effort on the part of students and parents), but we are tired of the noise, interruptions, and mediocrity that comes with these smart devices. So let’s change it.

I would ask for three things:

1. Help us make this plan better. I don’t expect this initiative to be problem-free. I’m hoping that we can quickly identify ways to make it serve families and students better, and we will implement changes whenever we identify them to improve the system. As the year progresses, if you have ideas for how a phone-free model could be better implemented at FRCS, then please let me know (email me, call me, or schedule an in-person meeting).
2. Recognize this problem for what it is — a “collective-action” problem. This is a unique type of problem in social sciences. It refers to what happens when a group of people would be better off if everyone in the group took a particular action (say, stop letting your daughter use social media), but each person is deterred from acting, because unless others do the same, the personal cost outweighs the benefits (it certainly feels too costly to the average 15 year old, which is why the typical student is not going to like this initiative very much, at least at first). The best way to tackle collective-action problems is to make a plan along with other families. Consider talking with the parents of your students’ friends and seeing if they would be willing to limit social media use or avoid giving their kids smartphones altogether (flip phones are still cool, kids). These can be uncomfortable conversations with other parents, but the only way to tackle collective-action problems is to take some type of action together.
3. Read and Learn. I know that now I sound like “just a teacher,” but educators and parents alike (and I hope policy-makers) should be learning constantly about how phones are impacting young people. I have been learning about this problem for several years now, and I feel that there is still a lot that I don’t know or understand. I have been intentional about citing sources throughout this FAQ, and you can see a longer bibliography below if you are interested in learning more along with me. I would also very much like for you to share the articles or research that you are coming across, because as I talk with other school leaders, those resources find different spheres of impact. Knowledge is not the same as wisdom, but it is hard to find one without the other.

Eckert, J. (2023). Just Teaching: Feedback, Engagement, and Well-Being for Each Student (1st edition). Corwin.

This book by Jon Eckert outlines why schools must be about feedback, engagement, and well-being. In the two sections on engagement and well-being, there are multiple references to the ways in which phones impact these two aspects of school life.

Haidt, J. (2024, March 13). End the Phone-Based Childhood Now. The Atlantic.

This article in The Atlantic by Jonathan Haidt outlines a snapshot of the research surrounding phones and its impact on childhood. This would be the article to read to learn more about collective-action problems and how they relate to cell phones.

Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.

This is a book by Jonathan Haidt that was almost an instant best-seller. Haidt is a professor and researcher at heart, and so this book is filled full of information and research findings. At the same time, he writes in an accessible style that any parent or school leader can learn from. This book works well as an audiobook, however – be warned that there are a lot of charts and graphs, and it would be a shame to gloss over these given his emphasis and focus on research.

Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing.

Two books by Cal Newport make this list for me. This is the first one that he wrote. It explores the neurological science behind how we can focus and work deeply. As he wrote this, he learned about the ways in which smartphones interfere with our ability to focus and get deep work done, and this prompted him to write the following book on Digital Minimalism.

Newport, C. (2019). Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Portfolio.

In this book, Cal Newport explores how to make selective choices about which technologies we should engage with, when, and why. He is not a techno-phobe, but he proposes a model for thinking really critically about why we use our devices so that we can choose when not to use them.

Social Media and Youth Mental Health. 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf

This is the recent health advisory issued by the US Surgeon General. It goes into greater depth about what we are finding in adolescence across the country.

Falcons on the Mic Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4rvtCv8EubcxMDNIg76Wc3?si=5c9eca7682974e47

In this podcast, I (Eli), discuss how technology is impacting schools and what school leaders should be considering as we try to prioritize our students.

Crouch, A., & Crouch, A. (2017). The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place (Illustrated edition). Baker Books.

Some of the resources above come from secular authors, but Andy Crouch makes a compelling case for Christian parents as they think about how to create household guidelines surrounding technology. The research that Crouch relies on only paints part of the picture that we know now (7 years laters), but it still points to the same truths. This book is grounded in Christian values, relies on valuable research, and is written with the home as the focus.