Shared experiences. Face-to-face interactions. Citizenship. In conjunction with Deerfield’s core values as well as increasing research regarding mental health benefits of lessened phone use, the Student Life Office decided to implent a new cell phone policy. The new rule requires students to leave their phones in their dorms between 8 A.M. and 3 P.M. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 8 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. on Wednesdays. Additionally, there is an overall expectation of students to keep their “Heads Up” from phones while walking around campus and interacting with the community.
The purpose of the cell phone policy, as outlined in Dean of Students Samuel Bicknell’s email to the student body in late August, is to encourage attentiveness to “create more opportunities for deep connections” that “contribute measurably and meaningfully to [students’] emotional wellbeing.” Pinpointing the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point for cell phone use, Mr. Bicknell emphasized his “incredible confidence in students,” sharing his hope that “students [will] notice the difference and understand where [the new policy] is coming from.”
When describing her own take on the policy, Director of Counseling Jennifer Daily emphasized, “It is my overarching hope and goal during my tenure here that each and every student that graduates from Deerfield possesses strong emotional intelligence and resilience.” She continued, “We know social media negatively impacts our wellbeing, so this policy is one step in that direction.”
Math Teacher Mr. Sam Leitermann-Long added, “I honestly felt like the adjustment period was going to be harder, but I have confiscated zero phones.” He clarified, “It’s not because I have been lax, it’s because I actually haven’t seen anyone use one.”
Faculty members are not required to leave their phones behind during the academic day, but were asked to be respectful to the change and minimize phone use. Still, Mr. Letiermann-Long shared that he started leaving his phone on his desk in the math office while teaching in the classroom and has already noticed a positive outcome. He shared, “A little bit of enforcement for me too is good. I think I’m a better faculty member because I’m trying to achieve the same thing students are trying to achieve and feeling more connected.”
Regarding new student reactions to the policy, Lyla Ortiz ’26 noted that it had been easier to connect with peers on campus without worrying about the barrier that a cell-phone can create. Ortiz believes that, without phones, students can be honest about who they truly are, while working on emotionally connecting and engaging with others. She shared that “seeing people with their ‘heads up’ makes the environment welcoming and warm.”
However, Ortiz did express her desire to see adults on campus being more open to students’ feedback on the policy. She feels that there is room for the policy to rely more on student discretion, as she believes students can determine the appropriate times for phone use themselves.
Both Mr. Bicknell and Mr. Leitermann-Long highlighted the important role student leaders, such as Student Body President Jerry Huang ’23 and Student Council Chair Zoë Matias ’23, played in promoting the policy while offering student feedback to the Student Life Office.
Matias shared that “the intentions behind the policy are pure,” but also emphasized the Student Council’s efforts to bring student concerns to the attention of the SLO. Among these concerns are cases involving health emergencies and specific needs to remain in contact with family.
Although the policy may have been anxiety-provoking to some initially, as Matias noted, the SLO has remained open to changes. One initiative would be implementing focus groups by grade, circulate dorms with Grade Deans, and maintain strong communication with Deerfield employees to gather insight into modifications that could be made to the policy in the future.
Students and faculty alike identified that allowing students to carry phones in their backpacks could be an effective change to the current policy.
Peer Counselor Elizabeth Richards ’24 described how a large portion of her PC work takes place outside the scheduled duty hours. Because most students reach out to PCs via phone, Richards believes having a phone available during the school day would facilitate PC accessibility.
Similarly, when asked about the policy moving forward, Mr. Leitermann-Long emphasized, “I think really hard about the fact that we are going to send all of you off to a world where you will have unlimited access to your cell phone and where responsible use of that is super important.” He added, “I do think that it’s part of [the faculty’s] responsibility to help equip [students with the skills] to be ready for that. Asking us to concentrate on the academic day is a good start, but it’s not everything we need to do about being good citizens in a digital world.”
Regardless of the cell phone policy, Counselor Daily encourages students to refrain from social media use as much as possible. She proposed, “Consider this, last time you felt crummy, and zoned out on social media for a while, did you feel better or worse about yourself afterwards?”
As confirmed by Mr. Bicknell, the foundation of the current cell phone policy will likely remain a part of the Deerfield community for years to come. However, student and faculty feedback are a priority for the SLO and are necessary in the implementation of beneficial changes to the policy in the near future.