#getphonesoutofschools
Dear Principal | Letter Template
Select the text below to copy & paste this letter into your own document or email correspondence:
Dear Principal [NAME],
This letter is to address concerns about personal internet devices (e.g. smartphones or tablets) at school and on school buses. I am requesting that our school consider creating a policy that requires students to put their devices away for the entire school day.
In July of 2018, the French government passed a law banning cellphones in schools. Some schools in the US are enacting similar policies as a way to combat the current mental health crisis in teens as well as decrease distractions during critical learning periods.1
Banning smartphones during school hours would do the following:
- Support student mental health
- Promote student face-to-face socialization
- Create positive school climate
The two articles below offer compelling evidence and calls-to-action. Here is a key quote from the first article:
"The smartphone brought about a planetary rewiring of human interaction. It transformed peer relationships, family relationships and the texture of daily life for everyone — even those who don’t own a phone or have an Instagram account. It’s harder to strike up a casual conversation in the cafeteria or after class when everyone is staring at their phones. It’s harder to have a deep conversation when ... interrupted randomly by buzzing, vibrating 'notifications.' Life with smartphones means 'we are forever elsewhere.'"
NYTimes: This Is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap2
We all wish kids to have the very best school year ahead, full of connection, memories, and friends. The evidence supports that a no-device policy will foster this, particularly if adhered during social periods.
All the best and with thanks,
[YOUR NAME HERE]
1. Hess, A. J. (2019, January 19). Research continually shows how distracting cell phones are so some schools want to ban them. www.cnbc.com/2019/01/18/research-shows-that-cell-phones-distract-students--so-france-banned-them-in-school--.html
2. Haidt, J. (2021, July 31). Opinion: This is our chance to pull teenagers out of the smartphone trap. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/opinion/smartphone-iphone-social-media-isolation.html
3. Bahrampour, T. (2021, July 20). Teens around the world are lonelier than a decade ago. The reason may be smartphones.. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/teens-loneliness-smart-phones/2021/07/20/cde8c866-e84e-11eb-8950-d73b3e93ff7f_story.html