As a school specializing in the formation of well-rounded young men, De Smet Jesuit takes seriously the challenges facing teenagers today. This summer our administrators reviewed school cell phone policies and revisited what steps we could take to help our students succeed in an environment that is fighting for their attention. As cell phone access, use, and addiction has increased at staggering levels in recent years, the need to educate our high school students on how to best manage this technology has become critical.
Dean of Students Peter Lenzini researched numerous studies, compiled helpful articles, and offers his own wisdom for parents and high school students on how to fight cell phone addiction, including five of his tips here.
5 Tips To Fight Cell Phone Addiction
Establish physical separation when you work.
Our ability to work, to be present to others in our community, and to be attune to our own spiritual and emotional needs is greatly affected by our devices. Leave your phone in one room and do homework in another room.
Set phone free zones/times.
Whether it be for family dinners, time with friends, or time to pray and meditate, carve out specific times when you are free of your phone.
Consider eliminating some or all of your social networks.
If you feel you need some of these networks, consider checking these from a laptop instead of your phone.
Turn off notifications except from family and friends.
Set your notifications to vibrate.
Do not sleep with your phone.
Cell phones affect sleep patterns. Research shows that teenagers need sleep but they are getting less of it now that they did 20 years ago. Keep the phone in the other room. You can keep the ringer on for emergencies. Use a physical alarm clock.
For more tips, links to helpful articles, and information from tech insiders, visit our Technology webpage to access to our free online resource.