US high school bans smartphones, children are happier than ever, academic life improves: Report

Head of School Peter Beck realised something was missing when the 65 high school students of Buxton Boarding School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, started classroom instruction in the fall of 2020. Kids lost their social skills after being taught remotely for months owing to the epidemic. According to Beck, 33, "the kids had entirely lost the fundamentals of face-to-face conversation and they had been hooked to their iPhones for so long."

The faculty of the school made the decision to impose a smartphone ban in response to all of this. Students, instructors, and staff are all forbidden from using iPhones and Androids on the 114-acre campus due to an institution-wide ban. According to the site, it was implemented at the beginning of the academic year this past September and has been a big success thus far.

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The head of school remarked, speaking to the New York Post, "The pupils are doing well. They have adapted to the shift very effectively." Although he acknowledged the necessity of the adjustment, he didn't believe it was genuinely feasible. Some pupils, according to Beck, expressed fear upon hearing the announcement.

While boarding students must leave their phones at the school coordinator's office until the conclusion of the semester, neighbouring students must leave their phones at home. According to The Post, each student received a Light Phone, a stylish device with few capabilities. It has the ability to send and receive basic SMS and calls. Additionally, it is mentioned that after school, pupils can browse social media on desktop computers. The ban has improved both academic and social life at the school.

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• Buxton High School
• Massachusetts
• United States
• school
• smartphones
• iPhones