New cell phone policy for 2026-2027

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?

You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!

I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.

Now imagine you don’t have friends in your lunch period. You have to sit there looking up not talking to anyone while everyone else around you seems to have a group. You also now aren’t allowed to use your phone. You could at least study a bit online or look on schoology or watch a review video. But nope. You aren’t allowed to touch your phone and it’s your own free time. It’s painful and humiliating to sit alone. And then the the fear of having someone discover you don’t have a group or friends to sit with.

So open your laptop. Read through your notes. Go to the library and get a book.

As someone who had a full semester of lunch duty every other day this year, 99% of kids aren't using their phones to study, they are scrolling tik tok and instagram at lunch, and it's contributing even more to feeling left out. Don't try to turn this into a "poor kids with no friends" story, because taking away phones will actually *help* those kids become included. People will actually be talking and engaging and maybe open to chatting with different kids vs hiding in a bubble of mindless scrolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?

You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!

I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.

Now imagine you don’t have friends in your lunch period. You have to sit there looking up not talking to anyone while everyone else around you seems to have a group. You also now aren’t allowed to use your phone. You could at least study a bit online or look on schoology or watch a review video. But nope. You aren’t allowed to touch your phone and it’s your own free time. It’s painful and humiliating to sit alone. And then the the fear of having someone discover you don’t have a group or friends to sit with.

Do what humans have done for 99.9999999999% of our existence and DEAL WITH IT.

Make new friends, or don't.

Sit alone, or try and talk to others.

Or learn to be by yourself and be able to handle it. Which billions of humans have done throughout human existence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?

You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!

I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.

Now imagine you don’t have friends in your lunch period. You have to sit there looking up not talking to anyone while everyone else around you seems to have a group. You also now aren’t allowed to use your phone. You could at least study a bit online or look on schoology or watch a review video. But nope. You aren’t allowed to touch your phone and it’s your own free time. It’s painful and humiliating to sit alone. And then the the fear of having someone discover you don’t have a group or friends to sit with.

So open your laptop. Read through your notes. Go to the library and get a book.

As someone who had a full semester of lunch duty every other day this year, 99% of kids aren't using their phones to study, they are scrolling tik tok and instagram at lunch, and it's contributing even more to feeling left out. Don't try to turn this into a "poor kids with no friends" story, because taking away phones will actually *help* those kids become included. People will actually be talking and engaging and maybe open to chatting with different kids vs hiding in a bubble of mindless scrolling.

This is so massively correct, thank you for writing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”

Yondr pouches?

We will plan to get a dummy phone if they make them use those stupid pouches.

This is some impressive parenting.

I’m telling you! A lot of this pushback feels like it’s coming from SAHMs who struggle with limiting their own technology use, and, as a result, feel the need to stay in constant contact with their kids throughout the school day. In many cases, it feels less about the students’ needs and more about the parents’ dependence on continuous communication.

I think the majority of parents responding to this thread understand that this policy is ultimately for the greater benefit of high school students -- socially, academically, and mentally. It helps curb excessive social media use, reduces rampant cheating with phones, and protects kids from the constant dopamine-driven stimulation that so many are already struggling with. For the parents looking to work around the policy with burner phones or other loopholes, those are not the people we should be viewing as a competent adults on this issue -- you’re dealing with people who likely need to reevaluate their own relationship with technology first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?

You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!

Before phones were allowed in school, EVERY SINGLE KID (including you!) did just that -- ate lunch without a phone ... and lasted the entire period. Stop enabling bad habits!

[Anonymous]

I have to believe this thread has been discovered by teens. Surely there aren't parents actively helping their kid find ways to skirt policies that are enforced for the greater good of all students?

I hope the punishments next year for phone use become "phone is held for 2 weeks at school" or "parent must come check the phone into the office daily" or something so ridiculously disruptive to the parents' lives that they are encouraged to actually parent their child's phone use.

[Anonymous]

We have effectively become The Shallows.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shallows_(book)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to believe this thread has been discovered by teens. Surely there aren't parents actively helping their kid find ways to skirt policies that are enforced for the greater good of all students?

I hope the punishments next year for phone use become "phone is held for 2 weeks at school" or "parent must come check the phone into the office daily" or something so ridiculously disruptive to the parents' lives that they are encouraged to actually parent their child's phone use.

They aren't legally allowed to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”

Yondr pouches?

We will plan to get a dummy phone if they make them use those stupid pouches.

This is some impressive parenting.

I’m telling you! A lot of this pushback feels like it’s coming from SAHMs who struggle with limiting their own technology use, and, as a result, feel the need to stay in constant contact with their kids throughout the school day. In many cases, it feels less about the students’ needs and more about the parents’ dependence on continuous communication.

I think the majority of parents responding to this thread understand that this policy is ultimately for the greater benefit of high school students -- socially, academically, and mentally. It helps curb excessive social media use, reduces rampant cheating with phones, and protects kids from the constant dopamine-driven stimulation that so many are already struggling with. For the parents looking to work around the policy with burner phones or other loopholes, those are not the people we should be viewing as a competent adults on this issue -- you’re dealing with people who likely need to reevaluate their own relationship with technology first.

I think there are a lot of parents here who would like to see less phone usage but would also like some common sense. I don't want my kid's math teacher to have to give up their lesson planning time to police a cafeteria to catch maybe 5 of 75 kids who are using phones against the policy. It's not a good use of anyone's time and it doesn't accomplish anything other than showing kids people in charge make dumb rules and don't really enforce them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?

You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!

I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.

Now imagine you don’t have friends in your lunch period. You have to sit there looking up not talking to anyone while everyone else around you seems to have a group. You also now aren’t allowed to use your phone. You could at least study a bit online or look on schoology or watch a review video. But nope. You aren’t allowed to touch your phone and it’s your own free time. It’s painful and humiliating to sit alone. And then the the fear of having someone discover you don’t have a group or friends to sit with.

There are these things called books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to believe this thread has been discovered by teens. Surely there aren't parents actively helping their kid find ways to skirt policies that are enforced for the greater good of all students?

I hope the punishments next year for phone use become "phone is held for 2 weeks at school" or "parent must come check the phone into the office daily" or something so ridiculously disruptive to the parents' lives that they are encouraged to actually parent their child's phone use.

The bigger problem is that in many schools there are already barely any consequences for misbehavior, rules breaking, or truancy.
Fix that and the rest will fall into place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”

Yondr pouches?

We will plan to get a dummy phone if they make them use those stupid pouches.

This is some impressive parenting.

I’m telling you! A lot of this pushback feels like it’s coming from SAHMs who struggle with limiting their own technology use, and, as a result, feel the need to stay in constant contact with their kids throughout the school day. In many cases, it feels less about the students’ needs and more about the parents’ dependence on continuous communication.

I think the majority of parents responding to this thread understand that this policy is ultimately for the greater benefit of high school students -- socially, academically, and mentally. It helps curb excessive social media use, reduces rampant cheating with phones, and protects kids from the constant dopamine-driven stimulation that so many are already struggling with. For the parents looking to work around the policy with burner phones or other loopholes, those are not the people we should be viewing as a competent adults on this issue -- you’re dealing with people who likely need to reevaluate their own relationship with technology first.

I think there are a lot of parents here who would like to see less phone usage but would also like some common sense. I don't want my kid's math teacher to have to give up their lesson planning time to police a cafeteria to catch maybe 5 of 75 kids who are using phones against the policy. It's not a good use of anyone's time and it doesn't accomplish anything other than showing kids people in charge make dumb rules and don't really enforce them.

“Dumb rules” you are telling on yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to believe this thread has been discovered by teens. Surely there aren't parents actively helping their kid find ways to skirt policies that are enforced for the greater good of all students?

I hope the punishments next year for phone use become "phone is held for 2 weeks at school" or "parent must come check the phone into the office daily" or something so ridiculously disruptive to the parents' lives that they are encouraged to actually parent their child's phone use.

I wouldn't worry about that! When the line to collect the phones becomes another 20+ minutes to the school day, that will be a natural consequence of kids taking their phones out at lunch. Miss the bus, walk home, or call your parents to get you. Sooner or later, it'll start to be a greater problem for the kid/family. So let them do what they want. Let the parents provide burner phones if they want. They'll need to buy a good supply of those burner phones otherwise the natural consequence will still become an issue for them.

Heck, hopefully the administration at these schools are looking at this thread and can implement a delayed return policy for the phone (same day, 20 minutes after school has been dismissed) and let the chips fall where they may. Guarantee this is a problem which will then self-correct instantaneously, within the first two weeks of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to believe this thread has been discovered by teens. Surely there aren't parents actively helping their kid find ways to skirt policies that are enforced for the greater good of all students?

I hope the punishments next year for phone use become "phone is held for 2 weeks at school" or "parent must come check the phone into the office daily" or something so ridiculously disruptive to the parents' lives that they are encouraged to actually parent their child's phone use.

I wouldn't worry about that! When the line to collect the phones becomes another 20+ minutes to the school day, that will be a natural consequence of kids taking their phones out at lunch. Miss the bus, walk home, or call your parents to get you. Sooner or later, it'll start to be a greater problem for the kid/family. So let them do what they want. Let the parents provide burner phones if they want. They'll need to buy a good supply of those burner phones otherwise the natural consequence will still become an issue for them.

Heck, hopefully the administration at these schools are looking at this thread and can implement a delayed return policy for the phone (same day, 20 minutes after school has been dismissed) and let the chips fall where they may. Guarantee this is a problem which will then self-correct instantaneously, within the first two weeks of school.

That. Is. Brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”

Yondr pouches?

We will plan to get a dummy phone if they make them use those stupid pouches.

This is some impressive parenting.

I’m telling you! A lot of this pushback feels like it’s coming from SAHMs who struggle with limiting their own technology use, and, as a result, feel the need to stay in constant contact with their kids throughout the school day. In many cases, it feels less about the students’ needs and more about the parents’ dependence on continuous communication.

I think the majority of parents responding to this thread understand that this policy is ultimately for the greater benefit of high school students -- socially, academically, and mentally. It helps curb excessive social media use, reduces rampant cheating with phones, and protects kids from the constant dopamine-driven stimulation that so many are already struggling with. For the parents looking to work around the policy with burner phones or other loopholes, those are not the people we should be viewing as a competent adults on this issue -- you’re dealing with people who likely need to reevaluate their own relationship with technology first.

It's how thet justify still being a SAHM with a high schooler. "But my kids need me!"