Get phones out of schools

Phones distract not only from academics but also social interactions. Kids hear and internalize fewer personal conversations with their friends. When they’re staring down at their phones between classes, they’re not making eye contact with each other and staff members in the hallway. This prevents the formation of both close- and weak-tie relationships.

Many high-school lunchrooms nowadays offer a depressing sight. From the stereotypical rowdy room full of food, chatter, shouting, and laughter, tables are now lined with students staring at their phone screens — perhaps only interacting when leaning over to share an amusing TikTok video.

Conversely, I worked in a school that had a strict no-phone policy. Kids made eye contact during lunch. They played more games during recess. Even students in younger grades would pass by and give teachers in older grades a smile or high five. It created a striking sense of liveliness that was lacking in other schools, where blue-lit apparitions ambled down the hallway mumbling to themselves.