Cambridge Rindge and Latin School has banned phones from bell to bell – the start of the day until the end – but will it help students focus, connect and learn, or will they just find ways around the rules?
Screens pull our children’s attention in every direction, and many caregivers, including me, worry about what they’re missing. Teachers notice the same: When phones are set aside, students engage more – sharing ideas, collaborating, laughing. Before my daughter had a phone, she spent most of her time reading and playing creatively. Once devices were introduced, without guidance, she read and played less with peers. Even programs meant to support learning – such as reading or math platforms with built-in games as rewards – can distract; she and her classmates sometimes found ways to play the games without completing assignments.
Adolescence – a key stage in K-12 – is a period of heightened social sensitivity, and peer interaction is essential for learning. Yet studies show these interactions are declining. The high school’s bell-to-bell phone restriction is intended to reduce distractions, but lasting focus requires more than policies; it depends on culture, habits and partnerships that nurture face-to-face connection.
Classroom technology should support learning, not dominate it. Overreliance can hinder understanding, creativity, critical thinking and the deeper skill of learning how to learn. Educators need autonomy, time, flexibility and support to provide engaging instruction – not to spend their energy policing devices. Students also need guidance to use technology responsibly.
Meeting these challenges requires partnership. Caregivers, educators and administrators must communicate, understand home and classroom realities and coordinate approaches. Policies alone cannot foster focus; experiential learning – books, projects, social clubs and indoor and outdoor games – must accompany them. When families engage at home and in school policies alongside empowered educators, students don’t just survive. They learn, connect and grow.
Jia-Jing Lee, Second Street, Cambridge
The writer is a candidate for Cambridge School Committee.
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