I am excited to share the results of our survey on US students’ views about using cellphones in class, which we did with your help. In today’s blog, I'm starting with the high school students' opinions. In a future blog, I will report on what middle and elementary-age students think about cellphone policies at school.

We received responses to our anonymous online survey from 286 high schoolers covering grades nine through twelve.  

Before I report the responses here, here are some questions to ask the youth in your life:

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“High schoolers were asked in an anonymous survey what cell phone policies they would recommend middle schools adopt for cell phone access during class time. What do you think the percentage of high school respondents said students should not have access to their phones during class, i.e., phones put away in places like backpacks, lockers, or shoebags on the wall)?”

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Answer: 71% stated that they believe middle schoolers should not have access to their phones during class time. That is a very high percentage.

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Now, ask them their guess for elementary school students. And, what do they think high school students recommended for their own phone usage in class?

Answers:

• 92% of high schoolers recommend that elementary students should not have access to cellphones during class time.
• 38% of high schoolers recommend that high schoolers themselves should not have access to cellphones during class time.

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So what does this tell us, and how does this help schools considering changing to Away-For-The Day-type policies?

To answer these questions, I am jazzed to provide three resources:

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1. We created a video that describes the research and the results. The video has a variety of clips of teens and others talking in it, along with me. Here is the link to the 3-minute video.  Please share the video with others, particularly youth! This is a wonderful discussion starter. 

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2. Below is a transcript of the video if you prefer.

3. Here is a link to the study's write-up on our website:

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Our study findings emphasize the importance of heeding the perspectives of older students who bring valuable life experiences to the discussion. A significant majority of them believe that elementary and middle school students should not have access to phones in class. In addition, many of them think the same about their own grade.  

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As schools think about their own school cellphone policies, this data should be taken seriously.

Ultimately, our societal responsibility is to advance students' academic, social, and emotional well-being and this study's findings, along with a significant body of research, all point in favor of the need for more schools to adopt  "Away-For-The-Day" policies. 

Questions to get the conversation started:

1. What do we think of these results?
2. What do we think of the points made in the video?
3. What additional questions should researchers address?

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New - The Screenagers YouTube Channel!

I'm so pleased to introduce you to our new YouTube channel! Each week we will be publishing a range of videos including, unseen footage from the experts in our movies, new videos related to the themes we advocate for, and for the first time ever - Video Tech Talk Tuesdays, where we will be looking back and expanding on some of the most popular and helpful Tech Talk Tuesdays from over the last 7 years.

Please consider visiting the channel and subscribing. This would help us a whole lot.

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Here is the transcript of the above video detailing the survey results:

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Dr. Ruston’s voice:

“Hello, everyone. I'm Delaney Ruston, a physician and the filmmaker behind the Screenagers documentaries. Today, my team and I have something very important to share with you. We recently conducted what we believe is the only survey out there where high school students were asked to voice their opinions about cell phone access during class time. 

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Out of 286 responders, here's what they had to say:  71% of high schoolers recommend that middle schoolers not have access to phones during class time, 92% said that elementary school-age students shouldn't have access to phones during class time, 38% said that they feel that even high schoolers shouldn't have phone access during class time.” 

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A teenager speaking:

“I'm so distracted by my phone, so it's hard to like listen to a teacher and actually understand what they're saying. I find myself having to go to a teacher after school or something and get help one-on-one because that way you can't have your phone out.”

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Dr. Ruston’s voice:

“Why is it important to know that these students have strong opinions? Evidence has repeatedly shown the pitfalls of phones in classrooms, from decreased learning and lower grades to emotional stress tied to social media, to name just a few things. And the fact is, in the US, school phone policies and enforcement of any policies are all over the map. 

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Did you know that in a different recent study of teens from around the country, researchers found that the median time spent on cell phones in schools was 47 minutes, and the number one activity these students did was to be on social media? And here's something even more alarming. As a doctor, I've seen firsthand how phones can affect our teens.”

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Teenagers speaking:

 “If they haven't opened it. And I know that they've opened someone else's. It feels so bad guys asking for pictures.”

“They don't want anything to do with me.”

“I see people doing fun things, and then my anxiety just kind of takes over.”

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Dr. Ruston’s voice: 

“Take vaping, for instance. Social media is flooded with ads and posts about it, and it increases the urge to vape at school among some nicotine-addicted students. Our recent film, Screenagers Under the Influence, delves deeper into this digital age's influence on teens’ drug decisions. So, what did our study ultimately show? The consensus is that teens themselves recognize the wisdom in restricting phone access during class time. So, let me say our two main takeaways. First, it's imperative to listen to our youth when framing policies. And second, for schools yet to adopt such measures, it's high time to consider a way for the day. In 2017, the Screennagers’ team and I launched this campaign. We've seen its profound impact.

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Middle school principal talks in the video: “We talked to the staff and said the policy is going be cell phones in their lockers, and the staff pretty much cheered. And so we said, we're just going to try it. And so we told the kids that was a new policy. We've heard very, very few complaints from kids about it.” 

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Thank you for listening, and together, let's help our students thrive.”

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Here is a video from the Screenagers YouTube Channel that talks more about this subject