On Wednesday, July 31, Head of School Russell Shaw and High School Principal Yom Fox sent out an all-school email announcing that phones would be banned at GDS during school hours. The email generated mixed reactions within the community, especially among seniors.
The announcement of the phone ban left seniors wondering how their last year at GDS would be impacted. Although some have been struggling to communicate digitally and keep track of their schedules, many members of the class of 2025 believe that the class has become more social and connected as a result of the new rule.
“I remember reading it and texting my friends about it. I didn’t think it was gonna be real,” senior Matthew Berman said of the all-school email.
“I was not expecting it because I didn’t know anything,” senior Charlotte Green said of the phone ban. “At first I thought it was silly and ridiculous.” Green said the lack of transparency with the students was an issue and that she wished the administration had consulted with the SSC before making the decision.
Several seniors interviewed agreed that there were issues with the ban, most notably that it makes it more difficult to keep track of schedules and meet up with friends.
Senior Leia Levine said that a downside of the policy is that it is harder to be engaged in the community. “For me, one of the disadvantages is not being able to check my email as often,” she said, “I feel like that makes me less participatory in clubs and other student groups that might be sending emails.”
Senior Clio Blum had similar thoughts. “I use [my phone] for practical reasons at school, like checking my next class or the room number,” Blum said of her phone. “I set alarms when I have meetings with my teachers.” She said the phone ban made her “nervous because it’s hard to keep track of everything without a reminder.”
“It’s harder for me to see my schedule because, I mean, I have never carried around my Hopper. I’ve always used the online schedule, my calendar, invites, all of that,” senior Alessandro Alfandari said. “I feel like I haven’t noticed anything positive out of it,” he said of the ban.
Seven of the eleven seniors interviewed by The Bit brought up the issue of communication, saying that their phones helped them communicate with classmates and teachers.
Three students also brought up the differences between Mac and Windows computers. Students cannot text through iMessages on a Windows computer, making it even harder to find and contact friends.
Many seniors said that it was too early in the school year to determine whether the ban has helped with academic life or productivity. “When I’m not being productive, instead of just being on my phone, I’m talking to people to get distracted,” Green said.
While some of the seniors found faults with the ban, others felt that it has benefited them so far.
“I’ve actually really enjoyed not having my phone,” senior Layla Coyne said. “It makes me be more present.”
“I love it,” senior Henry Cohen said of the phone ban. “I’m so much more focused throughout the day. I have so much more energy. I feel like everyone’s more social.” He said that, although he was annoyed at first, “I sort of felt like I was a little too addicted to my phone in general. I don’t know, I feel like I am a phone addict, but like, first step is admitting it.”
“I’m on devices less throughout the day,” senior Sowmya Natarajan said. Natarajan said she thought the transition was going to be difficult since all her previous years of high school had been with phones, but after coming back to school she realized that it was a lot easier than she was expecting. “Now that my phone is already in my bag I’m just not trying to pull it out during free time and I’m talking to people, so it’s gotten easier I’d say.”
While the transition has been hard for seniors, Blum said the senior overnight, which was before the year started, helped her realize the school year without phones was not going to be as challenging as she thought it would be. “We didn’t use our phones and just had no incentive to because we didn’t even have cellular data, and I saw the benefits of how you connect with your classmates,” Blum said.
“Sometimes it’s inconvenient, but for the most part it’s okay,” said Blum. She also agreed that the ban was improving her social life. Nine of the eleven seniors interviewed by The Bit said that the phone ban had encouraged them to socialize and connect with their classmates.