As a Parent and a Head of Middle School, I Urge Balance, Not Bans When It Comes to Tech
It’s a known fact that the proliferation of screen and social media use among teens can harm their mental health. In response, some call for a complete ban on smartphones until high school and for nixing social media before the age of 16. As a parent of three and as the head of a middle school, I instead urge educators and families to teach adolescents a balanced and mindful approach to technology, in school and out.
Teen screen time exceeds 8.5 hours daily; they average 4.8 hours on social media (for girls, that number is 5.3 hours) and get bombarded with an average of 237 smartphone notifications. All of this interferes with sleep and focus, morphing into an escape from negative emotions while they’re still building self-regulation skills. The effect of our app-centered culture also impacts students’ critical reading skills and ability to engage with complex materials.
As we all migrated to remote learning during COVID, our homes turned into workplaces and classrooms, blurring boundaries. The lockdowns may have ended, but the habits stayed.
It is time, however, to step back and become more intentional with screens when it comes to both social media and classroom learning.
Here is what I propose. First, instead of requiring students to take notes and submit assignments electronically, I recommend that teachers assign some of the classwork and homework on paper when appropriate. Studies show that handwriting notes rather than typing them is better for memory and learning. This back-to-paper approach will also help teachers pause and reassess their practices. After all, it’s easier to push out an assignment electronically than to photocopy and assign it manually. This is certainly not a blanket solution: technology does facilitate learning and provide accessibility for various types of learners. Yet we should recognize its limitations when possible.
Second, it’s important to control access to smartphones and smartwatches at schools. Phone-free campuses will prevent students from continuously attending to pings and getting distracted from classwork and community-building with peers. Partnering with parents and guardians in this work is vital.
Third, we must intentionally build in screen-free time and community activities in classrooms and during breaks when possible. Rather than banning screens—an unrealistic endeavor as schools embrace laptops and tablets nationwide—we must facilitate opportunities for mindfulness and prioritize face-to-face interactions.
The constant pull of technology is tenacious, for myself included, especially since I’m surrounded by innovation in Silicon Valley. I remind myself to take breaks and “tech detoxes” and encourage my three children to do the same. At home, we participate in “social media diets” by deleting social media apps from our phones for a few days at a time, especially around exam weeks, and noticing the impact. This summer, I have committed to modeling this behavior by taking off one day a week from technology, inspired by the 24/6 movement. Unplugging is not easy—as those of us juggling work and family expectations know all too well—but it will be worth the effort.
Tech breaks are springing up at homes and schools across the country for a reason. What began as TV Turnoff Week decades ago has since been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is deeply relevant in our interconnected world.
This past spring, for example, my school unplugged for a week for the first time in order to raise awareness of the ways technology impacts us. Students and teachers embraced paper planners, penmanship, and photocopies as much as possible. During breaks, they made friendship bracelets, played games, did yoga, and volunteered over the long weekend. Students completed surveys before and after and the teachers filled out questionnaires to help us assess the impact.
The results were astounding. Close to half, or 42 percent, of all Middle School students reported improved focus in class and reduced distractions during schoolwork. Many said they read more (23 percent), spent more time outdoors, and had less eye strain. Many went to sleep earlier; some rediscovered baking and drawing. A few reported improved study habits, such as sitting at a table to do homework, rather than toting a laptop to the couch. Notably, most 6th graders said they had fewer distractions.
What struck me in particular was the feedback I received from one 6th grader. This student voluntarily gave her phone to a parent for the entire week to resist the temptation of checking it. Here’s how she described what happened: “If I just look at it, I feel like I would want to go on it, just look at a notification, and I was trying to get out of the habit of looking at it all the time,” she said. Her words capture the habit-forming behavior that’s built-into the social media user experience, and it’s something we, as adults, should all find deeply alarming.
We are still learning the benefits and drawbacks of screens. But we can take charge, and not the other way around. With mindfulness, community participation, and screen-free time consciously built in, our kids and students can become more self-aware and connected, both online and off.
By Laura Zappas, Head of Middle School | Castilleja School
Laura Zappas has worked in independent schools for 25 years. She is the head of Middle School at Castilleja School, an independent girls school in Palo Alto, California. Ms. Zappas has previously taught English and Humanities at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, for 18 years, and served as English department chair, a faculty advisor, and 6th grade dean. She has a 19-year old and 15-year-old twins.