School is IN and phones are OUT
-Ella Rataic

The kickoff to the 2025 school year for Mounties began on August 28th — along with a brand-new policy: no phones before, during, or after school. It’s a major shift from last year, when students were still allowed to use their phones during ILT, lunch, or in the locker rooms. Now, most Mounties are all too familiar with the new motto: “From bell to bell, there is no cell.”

So how are Mounties handling the change?

Some students say that, after an adjustment period, they’ve noticed positives. Without the constant pull to check notifications, a few said they feel less stressed and more focused on schoolwork. Others have even found themselves talking more with friends at lunch instead of scrolling.

For other students, the rule feels more limiting than helpful.

• “I’m not a fan,” said Aleena Lopez, junior. “You can’t communicate with your parents or after-school rides during the day.”

• “It’s good for kids to have more contact with each other,” said Ava Raspallo, junior, “but being so restricted can make kids want to break the rule even more.”

• Dan McGuire, senior, agreed that the policy goes too far: “No phones in class is understandable, but not being allowed to use them at ILT, lunch, or in the locker rooms makes no sense.”

• And in simple words, Reyhan Kamal, junior, summed it up: “It sucks.”

It’s not surprising that the rule has sparked strong opinions. The average teen checks their phone more than 100 times a day (Common Sense Media, 2023). Screen time now averages around 6.6–7 hours daily, which is about as long as the typical school day (Common Sense Media, 2023). And when phones are allowed in class, students spend roughly 20% of class time texting, scrolling social media, or browsing online (University of Nebraska, 2013).

There’s also the question of how phones affect learning and mental health. One study found that students who don’t use their phones in class perform nearly a full letter grade higher than those who do (Journal of Communication Education). Another showed that banning phones in schools led to an average 6.4% increase in test scores, with the biggest improvements among struggling students (London School of Economics, 2015). Beyond grades, limiting phone use has been linked to lower stress levels and stronger face-to-face conversations (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020).

At the same time, phones serve as an important tool for safety and communication — something many students pointed out. About one-third of teens report feeling anxious without their phones (Pew Research Center, 2022), so it’s no surprise some Mounties feel uneasy about the change.

In the end, students seem divided. Most agree that no phones in class makes sense, but many believe they should still be allowed during ILT, lunch, and in the locker rooms. As schools across the country experiment with phone policies, Mounties are experiencing firsthand just how big a difference a small device can make.