Some Hawaii Schools Ban Cell Phones In Class. Should More Follow?

This article was originally published in Civil Beat.

After years of trying to keep students from using their phones during the school day, Kihei Charter School has invested roughly $9,000 in what administrators hope will be a foolproof way to keep mobile devices out of classrooms.

The Maui school purchased 300 pouches this year that magnetically lock when students place their phones inside, said Head of School Michael Stubbs. High school students put their phones in the pouches at the start of the day and can only open them in the afternoon using a special unlocking station teachers store in their rooms.

So far the effort appears to be working. Teachers are reporting fewer distractions in class this year and more social interactions among students, Stubbs said. The school also purchased games like Connect 4 and Jenga for students to play during their free time.

“There’s less isolation,” he said.

Many schools in Hawaii are grappling with how to reduce students’ reliance on cell phones, citing concerns about unnecessary distractions in class and the toll social media can take on teenagers’ mental health.

Eight states have passed laws restricting cell phone use during class time, and another 12 have introduced legislation to curb phone use on campuses. In Hawaii, guidelines from the Department of Education state that students can only use electronic devices with teacher approval.

Principals have the freedom to create policies around cell phone use and can empower teachers to decide how students use personal electronics during class. Often schools resort to confiscating phones and holding parent conferences when students repeatedly ignore their teacher’s rules.

In 2005, the Hawaii Board of Education debated banning cell phones in public schools statewide but opted not to after members voiced concern about students being able to access phones during an emergency. The board has not discussed any similar proposals since.

Teachers and administrators say restricting cell phone use during the day can reduce students’ attachment to their devices and help them develop healthier habits. But many agree that cell phone bans can only go so far, and schools and families need to do more to teach students how to use technology and social media responsibly when they are off-campus.

“Policy can help,” said Ilima Intermediate School teacher Sarah Milianta-Laffin. “But we also need to teach kids how to use these devices.”

Piloting New Cell Phone Policies

At Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, students started the year with a new rule: no phones out during class. Cell phone policies previously varied by classroom, said teacher Chloe Kitsu, who allowed students to keep their phones face down on their desks or use their devices once they finished assignments.

Kitsu initially worried that she would have to constantly remind students to put away their devices or ask administrators to come and confiscate phones from her classroom. But most students have respected the new rules so far, Kitsu said, especially since they are still allowed to use their phones during lunch and passing periods.

“I think if you told me one year ago that I wouldn’t have as many problems with cell phones and getting them to put it away, I don’t know if I would believe you,” Kitsu said. “But really, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences from it.”

Even at the elementary school level, many students are comfortable using cell phones and sharing their devices with friends, said Kaiulani Elementary School Principal Bebi Davis. She makes students keep phones in their backpacks and will confiscate devices if kids repeatedly ignore their teachers’ warnings.

Sometimes, parents and students are frustrated that they can’t text each other during the school day, Davis added, but she reassures families that they can communicate with their children by calling the front office.

Iolani School, a private school in Honolulu, is also strengthening its policies around cell phones for older students. For the first time this year, seventh through ninth graders are required to keep phones in their bags or lockers until the final bell, although students in grades 10 through 12 are still allowed to use their personal devices throughout the day.

The school already made students in grades kindergarten through six put their phones away during the day, said Head of School Timothy Cottrell.

Cottrell said student mental health was one of the greatest factors driving the school’s new policy this year. Students often spend less time interacting with friends and more time comparing themselves to others while they’re on their phones and using social media, he added.

National research has found that excessive use of social media and cell phones can negatively affect students’ physical and mental health, contributing to sleep deprivation and poor self-esteem.

The school can’t regulate how students use their phones off-campus, but he hopes the new policy will help teens understand how they can use electronics while also prioritizing in-person interactions and physical activities in their daily lives.

“It’s introducing moderation to help them have a healthy relationship with the device,” Cottrell said.

Education May Be Needed More Than Bans

While many schools are cracking down on cell phone use, others are loosening cell phone restrictions in response to student feedback and staff frustration.

In past years, students at Ilima Intermediate weren’t allowed to use their phones in common spaces like the library or cafeteria, said Milianta-Laffin. The school’s security team spent a lot of time confiscating phones, the teacher said, and some students were still checking notifications during class.

The school is now letting students use their phones during lunch and recess with the hope that they’ll keep their devices away during class.

The new policy has helped, but some kids still try to hide their phones behind their bags or under their desks during class, Milianta-Laffin said. Administrators will occasionally confiscate devices at teachers’ requests, but it’s hard to break students of a bad habit.

“It is a lot like Whac-A-Mole sometimes,” Milianta-Laffin said.

During a recent family event on cell phones at Punahou School, parents grappled with a series of questions about how to monitor social media use and set family rules around using phones at home.

Most parents supported the school’s decision this year to ban phone high schoolers from using their phones during class, said President Michael Latham. But the school is also working with families to teach kids about the impact of social media on their mental health and how to use their phones responsibly outside of campus, Latham added.

“Even if you do an outright ban, you have no ability to control what happens once the school day is over,” Latham said. “If you don’t take the time to actually teach these social and emotional impacts and ways to regulate your own use and behavior, then I don’t think we’re serving the students very well.”

Deborah Bond-Upson, president of Parents for Public Schools of Hawaii and interim director of the Hui for Excellence in Education, said she would support a statewide policy preventing students from using cell phones during class time. But, she said, teachers would need more support to implement this ban, and schools need to pair these rules with more lessons about how students can use devices for learning, instead of harm.

“We need to think smarter about technology,” she said.

This story was originally publish at Civil Beat .

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy .