We spent the past couple of months speaking with local school district administrators and teachers about the topic and trying — sometimes unsuccessfully — to gather student and parent insights.
Most local schools have an "off and away" policy, meaning students must keep their cell phones/personal devices off (or silent) and stored away for the entire class period.
Some are starting to impose stricter policies and consequences for cell phone misuse, while others are implementing new classroom features to physically separate students from their devices.
Many schools, including the Peoria School District and Williams Intermediate School in Davenport, are making students lock their phones in Yondr pouches during some or all of the school day.
The Phone-Free Schools Movement has started gaining traction nationwide, with some of the largest school districts in the United States — Los Angeles and New York City — planning to enact cell phone bans.
Talks of a cell phone ban have started circulating locally, too. Moline High School leaders plan to explore this option for the 2025-26 school year. Still, many Quad-Cities school leaders and parents aren't so sure about this route, yet.
Much of the existing research links phone use to things like learning, retention and engagement loss among students — even college-aged students. A 2018 Rutgers study found cell phone distractions can lead to lower end-of-term exam scores.
A fall 2019 study found that more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. In 2015, the Journal of Media Education found that 60 percent of students said that they spend more than 10 percent of class time on their phones in 2015.
Still, many — including our local sources — feel there should be "middle ground" when it comes to navigating cell phone use at school, especially for academic purposes when deemed appropriate by teachers.
Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College who specializes in child psychology, initially told Axios he wouldn't want a phone — "the most powerful educational tool we have" — to be taken away from him.
"If we think we're going to solve the problem by taking cellphones away from kids, we're not," he said. "If anything, we're adding to their anxiety."
So, how should schools address cell phone use? Well, I'm not a parent, school leader or student — but I did just dedicate a good portion of my summer to this very topic, so here's what I think:
The research and reports are clear, cell phones don't bring much value to the classroom.
Looking past factors like learning loss and student engagement, cell phone use — specifically, social media — can negatively impact school-aged students' mental health.
So, to echo what East Moline Superintendent Kristin Humphries said, why not eliminate those potential negatives during the 6-7 hours kids are at school? School is meant for learning anyway.
However, I don't think it's a bad idea to give teachers some level of discretion over cell phone use in their classrooms — but there needs to be a clear line between acceptable use and misuse.
And, while I know the students might not like this one, I think there needs to be strict, consistent consequences for blatant misuse. If there isn't, it's hard for schools to realistically put a dent in students' cell phone affliction or addictions.
I think it's fair to give an initial reminder to students on "first offense," but if they still don't put their phones away and/or use the device appropriately, I think they need a disciplinary referral at the very least.
The "consistency" bit is important here — I know that because I was a student not too long ago. I can remember my peers (even myself) sneaking peeks at our phones during class time, or the occasional "earbud through the sleeve" trick.
Many kiddos will take any chance they can get to access their phones/personal devices — so, schools need to make policy expectations clear from the jump and take measures to ensure misuse is being consistently disciplined.
But like what Harvard Graduate School of Education alum Dylan Lukes found in his 2022 doctoral research, it's important to make sure the penalties don't outweigh the distractions caused by misuse.
A student being repeatedly distracted by their phone at school is bad, yes, but is the appropriate response to remove that student (i.e. suspend them) from school? I'd argue no.
(Obviously, the aforementioned situation can vary, but I'm talking generally here.)
Detentions would suffice in many of these instances, but I also think students should be using their time productively during that time.
North Scott's digital citizenship framework or other digital safety lessons — such as the "Be Internet Awesome" program — are good examples of things students could be working on during a cell phone-related detention. That way, schools can attempt to remediate these behaviors while teaching students about proper and safe technology use.
These are just my ideas on how schools can productively curb cell phone-related distractions/misuse, so take them for what you will. As technology continues to grow and innovate, this topic will, too.
Regardless, communication and collaboration between school leaders, teachers and families is key — so I'd emphasize that above all else.
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