Ridgefield Needs a Smarter Cell Phone Policy in Our Schools

Our current cell phone policy is both confusing and contradictory. Phones are banned during instructional time, yet required for submitting homework and classwork at both the middle and high school levels. Students are told to put their devices away in class, then asked to pull them out during study halls or passing periods to submit assignments through Google Classroom. Even students who want to go phone-free can’t — the system often requires one. That’s not helping our kids learn balance or self-regulation. It’s just teaching them that rules are inconsistent.

Let’s Rethink Our Approach
For elementary and middle school, the answer is straightforward: keep phones out, bell-to-bell. Let kids focus on learning — and just being kids.

High school, however, needs a smarter approach.

Blanket bans don’t prepare students for the reality they’ll face in college and careers, where phones are everywhere and self-control is essential. What if, instead of simple prohibition, we taught digital wellness as a skill?

As journalist Manoush Zomorodi explained in her TED Talk, boredom fuels creativity. Constant scrolling shuts down the brain’s “default mode” — the mental state where our best ideas, problem-solving, and self-reflection emerge. Rather than banning devices outright, imagine a “Bored and Brilliant” project where high school students track their screen time for a week, identify their own distraction patterns, and experiment with intentional device use. They might challenge themselves to leave phones in lockers during lunch, go screen-free during study periods, or use focus tools to block social media during homework time. The goal isn’t punishment; it’s helping students understand their own habits and build the self-awareness they’ll need for the rest of their lives.

Tools for Teaching Self-Regulation
We should empower our teens with tools that support intentional usage. Apps like Freedom, Forest, or even the built-in Focus Modes on their devices can help students learn when and how to disconnect. Some tools, like the Brick app, use a physical device to add a barrier to non-essential internet use, forcing users to be deliberate about when and why they go online. The specifics matter less than the principle: we’re teaching students to be the masters of their technology, not its servants.

It Takes a Village
Not every family’s situation is the same. Some students need devices for safety, medical reasons, or communication with working parents. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth — adults need to model better phone hygiene too. Before we lecture teenagers about screen time, we should ask ourselves: Do I check my phone during dinner? Do I scroll while someone’s talking to me? Do I bring my device to every meeting, every game, every performance? Our kids are watching. If we want them to develop healthy habits, we need to show them what those habits look like.

This isn’t just a school issue — it’s a societal one. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. That means having real dialogue and collaboration with our students and parents — not just talking at them or down to them. By including high school students in the conversation about device policies, we show them the respect and accountability we want them to embody. When we treat them as partners in solving this problem, we’re already teaching the self-regulation we hope to build.

Teachers Should Teach, Not Police Screens
Our teachers already have too much on their plates. They shouldn’t have to spend class time monitoring pockets and backpacks. When we shift from punishment to education — from confiscating phones to teaching intentional use — we free teachers to focus on what they do best: teaching.

Ridgefield can lead the way by supporting thoughtful, balanced tech habits in our schools. Let’s move from contradictory rules to real conversations. Let’s give our students the tools and trust they need to navigate a world where technology is everywhere — and the wisdom to know when to put it down.

Divya Dorairajan is an Independent candidate for Ridgefield Board of Education and former BOE member who served on the Budget and Policy Committees. She serves as Board Director at Ridgefield A Better Chance, the Commission for Accessibility, the Ridgefield Rotary Club, the Ridgefield Community Emergency Response Team, and on the board of the National Charity League Nutmeg Chapter.

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