Beyond the Classroom with Mr. Murphy: Cell Phones

Earlier this month, the Virginia Department of Education rolled out new guidelines on “cell phone-free education” following the governor’s executive order. It’s part of a bigger trend—schools across the country are starting to ban phones, recognizing how they distract students and disrupt classrooms. Even social media platforms like Instagram have started to adjust, adding new features to protect teens and giving parents more oversight. 

At Seven Hills School, we have always had a “tech-light” approach, including a prohibition on cell phones, with one central question in mind: Does this tech actually enhance the student experience? As this trend spreads, it’s a good time for families to think about how phones, or other screens, are used at home too, ensuring screen time isn’t taking away from homework, family time, or face-to-face conversations.

The reason for school bans is simple: research shows that phones can be a major distraction, disrupt classroom dynamics, and even contribute to cyberbullying. Without phones, students can focus more on their academics, engage with their peers and teachers, and build real-world social skills. When introducing technology in the classroom, most notably Chromebooks, we try to make sure that the introduction of technology enhances the learning experience for the student, not simply substituting one medium for a screen. 

At home, you can reinforce these ideas and practices by understanding and supporting school policies and applying the same principles to home. Knowing why schools like Seven Hills prohibit cell phones can help you set similar expectations at home, promoting your child’s development. 

Here are some ideas to help manage tech use at home:

Creating Phone-Free Zones
Just like schools have phone-free zones, consider setting up areas at home where screentime isn’t allowed. The dinner table, study spaces, and bedrooms are great places to start. These “free zones” encourage focused study time, quality family interaction, and better sleep habits. 

By keeping screens out of certain spaces, students can stay engaged in their home life and avoid using screens as a replacement for important activities. Creating these habits and boundaries may stem the tide of nomophobia or other screen-time effects. 

Model Healthy Tech Habits
Kids pick up what adults do, so it’s important for parents to model healthy tech use. Limit your own phone time during family moments and be mindful of how often you’re checking your devices. 

This is something my own family is working on—how can we expect our kids to put their screens away if we’re glued to ours? I am quick to use an excuse like, “my email is here, I need to have my phone close,” but the reality is that I am holding my kids to a standard that I often don’t hold myself to. When your child sees you putting away your phone to focus on your non-digital life, they’ll be more likely to follow suit. 

Set Boundaries and Expectations
At school, the rule is clear: phones stay home. You can adopt a similar mindset by setting clear boundaries around when screens are allowed to be used at home. Establish times when phones and other devices are allowed to be used—after homework, for example—and times when they’re off limits, like during meals or family activities. 

Explain why the boundaries exist, connect the school rules with home expectations. This may further elucidate to your son why it’s important that they balance screen time with other responsibilities.

Use Tech Wisely
Phones and other devices don’t have to be bad! They can be great learning and social tools when used properly. Connecting with new and old friends, using a learning app, or creating something can be an incredibly productive way to use technology. Your son may be the first to tell you, though, that they seek out “brain rot,” or excessive time online, often videos and games of no value. 

Last year, I spoke at the AMLE conference about tech use and learning and introduced a framework for making decisions about what tech should be used in the classroom. The same thinking can be applied at home. Put simply, the framework asks educators to answer questions similar to what we ask ourselves at Seven Hills: Why does your child need this technology right now? Is it for something prosocial, constructive, or productive?

Monitor and Talk about Social Media and Online Lives
Each boy will have a different experience online. These ideas may not work for your family and your boy may not even be interested in using these devices. Some students tend to only play games online, while others use their devices for texting and FaceTime. Each experience is different, so talk to your son about what he’s doing online. Create the expectation that these are things that are ok to talk about. Offer to use parental monitoring as a safety net and system of support. 

We know how impactful these online experiences can be in their lives, so we often bring them up through Win At Social or in advisory. Our insistence in discussing these issues with our boys comes from a place of need: their online lives have an outsized impact on who they are becoming and we want to be trusted advisors and counselors as they navigate these spaces. Position yourself in the same way–make these discussions a part of the expectation of use. 

If you’d like further information or guidance, please reach out to me or your student’s advisor for support.