A US school has banned the use of smartphones on campus after students were found to be using them excessively. The Buxton Schools in Massachusetts has been known for its close-knit community. The school serves family-style meals at round tables and students and teachers share chores.
However, the administration felt that their sense of community was being damaged by phones. According to The Wall Street Journal, students frequently looked down at their phones during meals and even in class, where phones were prohibited. Teachers grew tired of telling them not to do so. Furthermore, rather than gathering in student lounges after class, children retreated to their rooms to use their phones.
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The decision to take away phones was made after the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, forcing the closure of the school for a few months and the introduction of virtual learning, which made situations worse.
John Kalapos, Buxton’s associate head of school told the leading daily, “We found our students had disengaged more and more from real life as their phones became their world.” He claims that the trend continued ever since students returned to campus.
Late last year, after a student live-streamed a physical altercation that got viral, Mr Kalapos came to the conclusion that something needed to be done.
From this fall, neither faculty members nor students are allowed to use smartphones on campus. Instead, they have been given simple light phones for maintaining necessary communication. Mr Kalapos described how the announcement caused chaos. Everyone was crying and yelling at the administration, he said. He also stated that the parent feedback was extremely mixed.
Emilio Martinez Buenrostro, a 16-year-old student says, “There are some things that are annoying about not having your phone, like watching videos.” Nevertheless, he’s gotten used to not being glued to his screen all the time, he says.
Now, that the no-phone policy has been in effect for nearly two months, students are adjusting to life without social media.
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