Students are "addicted:" Minnesota principals back school cell phone limits

Lunchtime can be a sad sight at Lauren Eller's middle school because too many students are glued to their phones. "They're just so addicted," the Wayzata teacher told Axios.

The big picture: Many Minnesota school districts have already adopted formal policies limiting students' mobile device usage — well ahead of a March deadline in a new state law that requires district leaders to spell out their rules.

Why it matters: Educators, officials, and experts are alarmed that phones are feeding epidemic levels of youth anxiety , loneliness, and sleeplessness , as well as undermining schools' role in teaching face-to-face social skills.

• Eller, whose school allows use at lunch and between classes, confiscates three to five devices a week.
• "They can't handle not looking at them," she said.

The latest: This summer, at the Legislature's request, two statewide school principal organizations published a new model policy that districts could adopt: a "bell-to-bell" ban on smartphones during the entire school day.

• The model also spells out an "alternative" for high schoolers: allow phones at lunch or between classes but at no other time, including during bathroom trips.

State of play: "Eventually, it will just be commonplace that phones are not in the classroom," Bob Driver, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals and model policy co-author told Axios.

Friction point: Districts need enforcement plans that loop in administrators and other classroom aides so teachers don't turn into the full-time cellphone police, Driver added.

Reality check: Experts say bans or rules alone won't prevent devices from becoming a distraction or a drain on kids' health.

• Dr. Michael Rich of the Boston Children's Digital Wellness Center likened phones to "power tools" that can be harmful if not used safely.
• Schools ought to help students master them, Rich told Axios, with lessons on everything from etiquette to handling tricky social media situations.

Plus: The problem lies not only with devices but also with the design of their apps.

• "We need social media companies to change the way they design and operate their platforms to make them less addictive to kids," Danny Weiss of tech advocacy organization Common Sense Media told Axios.

What they're saying: Axios readers "call in"

‍🧑‍🧑‍🧒 "Like it or not," wrote Kristina W., "parents have also become obsessed with cell phones — and being able to get ahold of their kids anytime, anywhere."

🍄‍🟫 Middle school teacher Jeannine said, "Most incidents between students start on social media and grow from there."

💻 Patrick W., superintendent of a rural district outside Willmar, wrote that his students already have school-issued Chromebooks and iPads, "So any educational need for a personal device is minimized."

🗣️ Retired teacher Janet M. said that with a cellphone ban, "Maybe they would pay attention to the teacher and do their work. Talk to each other at lunch instead of play on their cellphones."

📝 Becky L. also supported restrictions: "When I was a kid, we passed notes back and forth!"