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Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting Smartphones in Schools: Dialing Up A Bad Idea
Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting Smartphones in Schools: Dialing Up A Bad Idea
By Tom Northrup
In the early 1960s, when my parents were in high school, they received free sampler packs of cigarettes on their cafeteria trays...I believe that future generations will look back with the same incredulity at our acceptance of phones in schools.
-Russel Shaw, Head of School of Georgetown Day School, from his article “Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School” in The Atlantic
Like Russell Shaw’s parents, I was in high school in the early 1960s. And while the school I attended didn’t offer sampler packs of cigarettes at lunch, several of my teachers smoked in class.
Students were permitted to smoke, with parental permission, before or after class in the school-sanctioned “pipe club.” Not surprisingly, my alma mater closed this club several decades ago.
Shaw’s linking the harm done from smoking to the overuse of smartphones, is a good reminder that human beings and institutions can respond and make changes for the better when an issue has been well researched, the facts are known, and reasonable modifications are presented.
In recent columns, Mike Wipfler, a friend and former colleague, and I have been discussing Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation.” One of the author’s conclusions is that excessive use of smartphones by children has resulted in negative consequences for many in multiple areas–mental health, educational achievement, and personal relationships.
Several months ago when the book was launched, I argued it was must reading for parents, educators, and children. His research was thorough and persuasive, and his recommendations were reasonable and easy to understand. Still, they’re not simple to execute.
Banning the use of smartphones at schools was one of them. It’s reassuring that many schools and states have instituted this policy. Russell Shaw’s recent article in The Atlantic explains why the school he leads, Georgetown Day School, made the decision to ban them.
Tom: Mike, I highly recommend that parents, teachers, and children read Shaw’s piece. A major challenge for parents and teachers in raising and educating children has always been balancing what I call the structure latitude scale. How much structure should be adult driven and non-negotiable? How much latitude should be given to the child to make the call? On home routines such as bedtime, attendance at family meals, fulfilling responsibilities, I’ve always tipped the scale toward the need for more adult provided structure.
As parents and teachers, both of us have been advocates in many areas for giving children the latitude to make academic or social decisions independently and learn from the resulting natural consequences–good or bad. What are your thoughts on the appropriate balance for children and smartphone use?
Mike: I think it’s very important for adults to provide structure and limits around smartphone use. Smartphones give their users instant access to limitless sources of highly stimulating material— social media, television series and movie options, text threads, and much more.
The pleasure-seeking parts of the brain are powerfully drawn to these instantly gratifying sources, as dopamine spikes occur in anticipation of and during phone use. In fact, Anna Lembke, a Stanford professor and author of “Dopamine Nation,” compares smartphones to drugs. “The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation,” she wrote.
It’s difficult for anyone, of any age, to muster the willpower or develop the habits necessary to have a healthy relationship with their smartphone. But it’s even more difficult for adolescents, whose prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for decision making) is still developing.
Given the addictive nature of the technology, it’s unreasonable to expect pre-teens and teens to be able to self-regulate their smartphone use. As a former teacher, I worked hard to develop thoughtful, engaging lessons. I am exceptionally grateful that students at Hill School were not allowed to have their phones anytime during the school day. My best lessons would be no match for the ping or buzz of a phone notification. Even without a notification, just the mere presence of phones and the dopamine potential they provide would prove too tempting for many students.
These dopamine cravings constantly exist, so when a smartphone is readily available—in or between classes at school, during meals, while completing homework, or hanging out with friends—it is nearly impossible for preteens and teenagers to stay focused on the tasks and people right in front of them. That’s why it’s essential for adults to provide limits and expectations around when and where smartphones are used.
Banning smartphones in schools is a great first step and easier to implement and monitor than after-school and home use. In our next conversation, we should discuss some limit-setting strategies for parents and children during non-school hours.
Tom: I couldn’t agree more. Schools and families need to be uncompromising in their limit setting for their children on their smartphone access and use at school and at home. Thanks to Jonathan Haidt and other researchers, the health risks are known. Children need to understand the downsides. Parents and teachers can be confident in taking a hard line on this, children will appreciate the benefits, and, if not now, ultimately they’ll be grateful.
Long-time educator Tom Northrup is Head of School Emeritus at The Hill School in Middleburg
