Last month I attended Jill Scott’s concert at The Chicago Theatre for her “To Whom It May Concern Tour.” The neo-soul chanteuse implemented a strict no-cellphone policy. At the doorway, ushers handed out pouches to secure any device that could record. After the show, they were unlocked. The same process happened at the same theater when I saw one of my favorite R&B groups, Tony! Toni! Tone! Artists want concertgoers to soak in the music and be locked in to the performances.
The policy worked. Listening in a communal space without a blue-screen glare or people distractingly posting live on Instagram elevated the concert. Much of life these days is documenting and proving fun. If it’s not online, it didn’t happen.
Those cellphone-free, concert-going experiences make me think about the new Illinois cellphone ban in public schools. In July, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law that bans cellphones and personal devices in classrooms. Deeper connections and less distractions in the classroom are the dual goals. The bell-to-bell policy for kindergarten through eighth grade includes lunch and passing periods. For high schools, access could be allowed during passing periods or lunch. This year the state board of education shared a template policy for school districts, and at the start of next academic year a plan must be implemented.
A list of exceptions range from medical to caregiving. But the bottom line is teachers are sick of competing with cellphones and accompanying social media. Illinois joins nearly two dozen states that have enacted some sort of bell-to-bell policies.
I’m all for the ban. My 10-year-old doesn't have a cellphone or smartwatch (holding out for as long as I can!). Her Chicago Public Schools elementary school already has a locker policy for cellphones, which I obviously support.
But the issue is bigger than my kid and our school as social norms continue to shift with technology. I am happy to have a cap on some of the drama cellphones and TikTok can bring into the classroom. Some parents have pushed back against bans, citing the need to reach their children in an emergency. Um, that’s what the school main phone number is for. Worries about school shootings fuel some of the angst, but we have to trust school policies in case of an emergency. A part of me rejects that as a reason because technology affords us instant gratification, and parents want to exercise that right. They, too, are texting students in school about nonemergencies.
Admittedly, research around cellphone bans is a mixed bag. A report earlier this year from the National Bureau of Economic Research found over a three-year period, cellphone usage among middle and high school students decreased during the day. But there was no major impact on test scores, attendance or attention in class. The positives were improved disciplinary issues and higher student well-being. More research clearly needs to be conducted. But the policies aren’t causing harm.
I’m not naive. No-cellphone policies are not a panacea for social isolation or school improvement. As Illinois school districts finalize policies, this is an ideal time for parents to model imitable cellphone behavior, which brings me back to the aforementioned R&B concerts: the feeling of not being distracted and focusing on the songs.
Responsible device use can begin with parents and caregivers modeling good behavior. Picking up the cellphone to check for messages or a social media like is a habit like blinking. We don’t even think about it because it’s second nature. But we can be more intentional by putting away cellphones at meal times, turning off a cellphone when engaged in an activity or at an event and sleeping without the cellphone in the room.
Perhaps then our children will understand why keeping cellphones out of the classrooms isn’t punitive.
Natalie Y. Moore is a senior lecturer at Northwestern University.
