When someone mentions high school, what comes to mind? Most likely learning, and tests, but also friendship and memories with peers. The new phone ban was put in place to help facilitate social connections. What role should smartphones play in social life at Haldane, if any at all?
There is scientific evidence that suggests that phones negatively affect social connections. In a 2022 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, a team of researchers at Princeton University studied the social consequences of diverting attention to phones during social activities, and concluded that there were negative effects, such as diminished interaction and less valuable conversations amongst peers. Often referred to as “phubbing”, people who experience this with their friends and family almost always report lower feelings of social connections, according to the study.
In recent years at Haldane, phones were often seen being used by students amidst lunch conversations with friends. Although there has been some upset among Haldane students over the new phone ban, early reports from students suggest that the ban is allowing for better communication and interaction amongst peers. When asked about her experience of the phone ban, sophomore Anya Mercurio said, “I don’t think that it is that bad, especially when I have my friends around me, because it makes us engage with each other more. In addition, the ban also helps me bring my screentime down and conserve battery.”
Similar to Anya, teachers at Haldane have noticed an increase in personal engagement among students as well as in the classroom. Social studies teacher Michelle Cordaro said, “For the first time in a long time, students are actually looking at each other and talking, which is fantastic. Being able to look someone in the eye and talk to them is a vital life skill.” She continued, “I have also noticed improved performance and focus in the classroom; people are less distracted and able to engage more.”
There are contrasting opinions, and other students at Haldane feel that the phone ban hasn’t socially impacted them. Many students said they used the lunch period to socialize anyway and felt that the new rule neither helped nor hurt them. Freshman Oliver Chase felt the phone ban didn’t impact how he usually spends his lunch. He said, “I usually hang around with my friends, I don’t think that I would be on my phone even if they weren’t banned.”
In contrast, some teens struggle with diverting attention from their phones in social settings, and banning phones in school has helped them have more in-person conversations. On the impact of the phone ban, freshman Theo Swan commented, “I can have real conversations with my friends instead of being buried in my screen, my mom also gets less mad at me about my screen time.”
This year, during the lunch period, students can be seen playing giant Jenga and other large board games, which are new additions to lunch at Haldane in response to the phone ban. When asked about the difference in student interactions from last year to this year, freshman Natalie Taylor said, “Students appear to socialize in person more with each other than on the phone. During recess, you can see people running around instead of being on the phone. I think that the social connections have improved because there are more physical, not digital, interactions.”
