As school begins this year, at least two middle schools in Seattle will partner with a “phone pouch” company in an attempt to decrease the distractions caused by student phone use during the school day.
While I appreciate any school’s efforts to make positive changes regarding student personal devices, I don’t love the pouch solution. It may be a needed interim step to reestablish norms, but this solution puts the onus on the wrong people to solve the problem.
A two-fold concern
Technology use in schools has dramatically increased over the past decade, presenting as a twofold problem: student device use and school-issued computers and tablets. They are equal distractions.
Except for a few keen-eyed parents and activists, most people are unaware of how much technology is used during the school day—and just how complex and complicated the situation has become.
Did you know?
In Washington schools:
- Many subjects have moved entirely digital, across all grades, such as the new math curriculum and much-lamented Amplify science programs in Seattle Public Schools are 100% digital.
- District-issued student laptops and iPads have displaced computer labs or computers in the school libraries, two places where students might learn safe internet research and relevant skills.
- On average, schools use 125 unique EdTech platforms per school, and 96% of these platforms siphon student data and sell it to ad companies, often without parental consent and knowledge.
- Performing arts teachers or athletic coaches use Discord, Snapchat, or Instagram to coordinate group messaging regarding rehearsals or practices with students.
- Tools like GoGuardian claim to “keep students on task” on their school computers but force a teacher to sit at her computer and police all forty screens of her students.
- School districts sue social media companies for harming student mental health but use the same platforms to communicate, or worse, require students to download these platforms to use for school.
A whole new set of problems
As they say in public policy, this is a “wicked” problem. Solutions are needed, but putting staff in the precarious position of communicating digitally with students creates a new problem, and applying technology to student misuse of school-issued devices doesn’t decrease problematic use. Attempting to do so begs several questions: What happened to computer labs? Why do we assume surveillance tools are the solution to off-task students rather than finding solutions to decrease class size or eliminate the 1:1s altogether? Why are we encouraging adults to communicate with students via social media platforms?
As the phone-free schools movement has justifiably gained traction, so have adjacent solutions, like the “pouches” purchased by Seattle-area schools. But “pouches” and surveillance technology like GoGuardian in the name of “helping” students stay focused yet again asks the wrong people to solve this problem.
Three reasons why pouches aren’t the solution
We can agree on the problem—excessive screen use, whether phones or computers, presents a tremendous distraction for learning and teaching. But we’re treating the symptoms, not the cause. Here’s why:
First, none of this is free. How can we justify additional costs in our district (Seattle Public School), for example, which is slated to close up to 20 elementary schools because of a budget crisis? If PTAs pay for it, equity issues arise.
Secondly, asking students to pouch and carry their devices increases their temptation. When I told my 13-year-old about this new change, she said, “What!? That’s like dangling candy in front of a baby!” She’s 100% right. If the goal is to decrease distraction, phones must not remain on the student’s body during the day.
Third, for whom are we giving these pouches? I know teachers are desperate to decrease phone distractions in the classroom, but parents have some hard work to do. Asking teachers to now police pouches (or unlock them when needed) is not a solution that decreases their already way-too-heavy burden.
What will stop the student phone/device problem?
What is the solution? Two things:
Districts need no-phone policies for grades K-12, with very clear parameters for teacher device use and consistently applied consequences for misuse.
Schools must return to intentional use of technology and computers, such as prioritizing skills before screens (not laptops before learning).
As pressure on schools to reduce student device use grows, this will also include 1:1 programs and EdTech platforms.
The solution is to become a tech-intentional school.
Read more:
Screentime Consultant: Social Media as Middle School Weapon
