Trevor Students Connect at School Under New Phone Policies

To many, the new Trevor phone policy seems absolutely absurd. Most of Trevor’s Upper School students have never experienced a day without their phones accessible, therefore they find it insane to have this device taken away from them. As attested by an eleventh-grade student, students should have “access to their phones at all times because everyone has a special case”. Moreover, another eleventhgrade student claims that “if [we] want to go on our phones, then we will. If we don’t, then we don’t.” On the other hand, some students find the policy to improve their focus. As attested by a tenth-grade student, she believes that her “phone is really distracting during the day” and often “disturbs [her] focus.” Neither of these two extremes is the case for every Trevor student, though. We are living in a world where technology is at the basis of every aspect of our lives, where cell phones facilitate communication, socialization, and education. How can authorities, both school administrators and otherwise, rid students of this piece of their lives? Various discussions on this topic have been held amongst Trevor students, especially in tenth and eleventh-grade Health & Wellness classes. Trevor community members have continually pondered the dilemma of whether school phone policies should be made by each individual institution, or by the government.

As a private school, Trevor has a certain amount of leeway in creating their own phone policies which are the most suitable for the community. However, no matter the policies put in place, it’s ultimately the choice of students to comply with the rules. If students want to go on their phones, then they will. Self-control is the basis of how these phone policies can be effectively employed. Students must learn how to regulate their screen time intakes, a skill many haven’t been taught due to the ubiquity of phones in our lifetimes. Especially in New York City, students are used to the efficiency and convenience of city infrastructure, often living a fast-paced life. Going forward, the new phone policies will hopefully enhance the engagement of the entire Trevor community for the better and strengthen our community bond.