I do not support the new ninth-grade phone policy. Last year, the entire Upper School got to keep their phones. However, just as the class of 2028 was celebrating moving up from 8th grade, the Poly administration had a surprise in store for us. At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, we learned that ninth-grade students would be required to turn their phones in at the beginning of each school day. Why us? Why now?

I am completely against the new phone policy at Poly. For all four years of middle school, I was required to turn in my phone at the beginning of each school day. Just as I was looking forward to stepping into Upper-Schooler bliss and enjoying new privileges, such as being able to keep my phone throughout the day, Poly implemented this policy. I can’t help but wonder why the Poly administration chose to revoke this privilege for my grade. We also experienced unwarranted change last year when ninth-grade extra-help blocks were removed. Also, I must note that, unlike this year’s 8th graders, the class of 2028 did not get to go on any overnight trips. It seems the administration’s need for stricter measures always falls on my grade. I believe that ninth graders should be permitted to keep their phones throughout the day. This would allow us to find each other more easily on campus, and our phones would allow us to build friendships and community in a way that is appropriate for our generation. Sharing stories, memes, information, and updates is Gen Z’s way of staying connected. Lastly, has anyone noticed the student traffic throughout the halls in the mornings and afternoons as ninth graders flooded the hallways, trying to turn in and collect their phones? This wouldn’t happen if we were permitted to keep our phones.

When discussing this new policy with adults, I believe there is an obvious trend in their arguments. This new policy is supposed to help us focus, limit exposure to the hazards of social media during the day, and force more quality communication throughout the Poly community. Of course, my parents fully support this new policy. They hope it will enable me to get better grades and reduce the possibility of me getting in trouble for being on my phone. These arguments supporting the phone policy do not outweigh our need to learn responsibility. Students should be permitted to keep their phones to teach us to regulate ourselves and develop maturity when it comes to technology. This new policy takes away our ability to make choices and learn self-control. How else will we learn? 

Alas, the research is against us. The latest studies reveal that young people are facing both physical and psychological harm due to extensive cell phone use. This has prompted schools around the world to implement stricter phone policies. However, in a March 2023 article in the Harvard Gazette, author Anna Lamb noted the tradeoff between increased focus and decreased connection amongst students. That notion creates an ultimate question for the Poly administration: if the goal is to increase students’ focus on academics, what will be the solution to our decrease in social connection?