A Call to Confiscate

          Since its origin in 19th century English Boarding Schools, study halls have forced students to use their unstructured time effectively. In the past, when the internet was unavailable, students’ textbooks and the peer tutors were the only resources that they could utilize. Yet, as technology becomes more accessible, and more effective at providing entertainment and fostering communication, electronic devices have become an increasingly large distraction. With readily available sources of amusements like Tik-Tok and Instagram that require short attention-spans, it becomes even harder for teenagers today to choose what to focus on. In this current day and age, where internet usage is commonplace, it is still important for the school to pose restrictions on smartphone use.

          Smartphones, ipads, and computers have the same capability to distract students. All three instruments can help students access the internet, communicate with friends, and scroll social media. Even Snapchat, an application that relies on pictures to communicate, has been recently launched on MacBooks. However, smartphones have always been associated with addiction and unproductivity more than laptops. This popular myth may stem from the difference in the marketing of the two devices: while smartphones are seen as tools for social communication, laptops are advertised for their ability to make working more flexible. We only disregard the smartphone’s ability to perform necessary tasks because it is more often used for socialization. So, why ban phones when it deprives students of nothing? Lawrenceville's administration is not ignorant of the similarities between smartphones and laptops. Rather, I believe the act of confiscating smartphones during study hall to be a symbolic restriction rather than a physical one. By requiring students to hand-in their phones, the school is signaling to the student body that during study hall, one should use the internet effectively, in a way that is beneficial to one’s academic goals. Thus, the school effectively uses the marketing of phones and laptops to their advantage by making their message clear. 

          There are undeniable benefits for the School should it choose to portray phone use in a positive light. For instance, it's a demonstration that recognizes students to be independent and mature enough to regulate their unstructured times, since self-control is a keystone of maturity. However, as high school students, most of us lack the mental maturity of adults. Even though choosing to go to a boarding school—for the majority of the student body—is a signal that students desire independence, studies have shown that human brains only reach full maturity at the age of 25. High school is a time for us to develop our toolset—from forming supportive relationships to maintaining a work-life balance—that will allow us to manage our time productively in the future. At Lawrenceville, rather than creating an environment that imitates the freedoms of college, the School must show its students how healthy processes are managed—how our time at Lawrenceville can teach us the importance of self-discipline and mold us into better adults. 

          Controlling smartphone usage is the most effective way to remind students of the importance of using their time effectively. Returning to the popular marketing narratives designed for smartphones and laptops, taking smartphones away from a specific block of time in our day instructs students to separate their work life and social life—a soft introduction to a work-life balance. The separation from phones can also teach students how to deal with alone time, something that every student will have to live with after graduation as we enter a society that is not as tight-knit as the community that we built here together. It is these small steps—like handing in our phones for two hours of the day—that set us up for a successful journey to adulthood. Thanks to a few instructions, Lawrentians have a better chance at developing into lifelong learners.