#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

Washington Post: Teens around the world are lonelier than a decade ago. The reason may be smartphones3

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