Washingtonians have their classics: sunsets over Lake Washington, Starbucks runs to start the day, and cheering for the Seahawks even when the season gets messy. And if you’re a teenager, you can add one more thing to the list: phones. Teens love their phones, the memes, the group chats, and checking Instagram to see Erling Haaland’s and Zendaya’s latest haircut drop.
But this year, phones have become a whole debate in Bellevue. This year, Bellevue schools are putting renewed emphasis on the district’s rules for cellphones and other electronic devices; and at my school in Bellevue, phones must stay put away during instructional time. I think the idea behind it is simple: constant access to phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other devices makes it harder to focus and easier to get distracted.
(Photo courtesy aIsabella Akalin)
Teachers can still allow the use of phones for specific educational activities, but otherwise, they stay out of sight. Most teachers now have phone holders at the front of the room where we drop our phones at the start of class. Many were already doing this, but now it’s something everyone is expected to follow.
I am speaking from my school’s experience as I am not overly familiar with how others are enforcing the policy. The good news is that phones are allowed during breaks, lunch, and before or after school. So instead of the old “off and away all day” feeling, it’s now “off and away during class, but fine during the natural pauses in the day.”
I get why the rule exists. Phones can be loud and distracting, it takes your attention away from whatever is happening in class. I am pretty sure everyone had that moment in class when a notification pings at the worst possible time, and the teacher gives you a menace-look that makes you want to crawl under the desk. And let’s be real: the world does not need another bathroom TikTok filmed during second period. Everyone will survive if we wait until after school to film the next one. All memes, YouTube videos, and “try not to laugh” compilations will still be there after school.
In some ways, the policy has pushed us to hang out with friends in the old-fashioned way, like our parents did: actually talking, being present, and paying attention during tutorials. When no one is staring at a screen, conversations feel more real. Lunch becomes less about scrolling and more about catching up. It’s not perfect, but it’s different in a good way.
Still, even with the rule, phones haven’t magically disappeared. Students are creative. Some people check their phones in the bathroom. Others keep them buried in their backpacks and try to sneak a glance when teachers aren’t looking. Smartwatches are a whole separate loophole. And enforcement still varies by teacher, though now, with the renewed emphasis on the procedure, everyone is supposed to be more consistent. Some of them are enforcing pen and paper again, to avoid any type of screen, including laptops, phones etc.
I asked few friends what they thought, and the answers were not the same. One of them said the policy helps her focus because she’s not scrolling all the time. Another said it stresses him out because he got used to scrolling and sharing fun sports videos with friends during natural free time in class. Someone else said she doesn’t care either way, she just follows whatever the teacher says, and avoids trouble.
The biggest concern I hear is with emergencies. Even if phones have to stay away during class, having them nearby still feels safer. If something urgent happens, we can reach our parents quickly instead of trekking to the office and waiting to use the school phone.
Comparing Bellevue’s policy to Seattle’s reveals they are actually pretty similar. Seattle high schoolers must keep their phones off and away during class but can use them during lunch and passing periods. At my school in Bellevue, the basic idea is much the same: no phones during instructional time, but access during breaks like lunch and passing periods.
At my school, there are also clear consequences for breaking the rule, escalating from warnings and family communication to having a phone confiscated for the day and, for repeated violations, requiring a parent or guardian to pick it up.
I think the policy is fine. It’s not perfect, but it’s manageable. I don’t feel like my life is ruined because I can’t check Instagram at 10:15 a.m. I appreciate having a moment away from constant notifications. It gives me room to breathe without scrolling through a feed.
Phones are a huge part of teen life, and they’re not going anywhere. But maybe school doesn’t need to be another place where we’re glued to them. Maybe it’s okay to have a few hours where we’re not scrolling, posting, or recording. We can catch up on cute dog videos later.
Bellevue’s policy isn’t perfect, and students definitely find ways around it. But it also gives us something we don’t always realize we need: a break. In a world that’s loud, fast, and screen-dependent, maybe that’s not such a bad thing… We can look up from our phones and see what our friends’ faces look like without filters.
