Yichen Liu ‘28
Contributor

Dialing Down Distractions: A Closer Look at Loomis's New Cell Phone Policy

Editor’s Note: As of writing, the cell phone policy discussed in this article has been paused following a recent school lockdown. The policy will be reassessed by the administration at a later date.

Cell phones have long since become an essential part of our lives, whether using them for schoolwork, communication, or simply fun. On January 13th, however, a new policy for phones was introduced, creating a buzz among the student body. What will this policy change, how successful will it be, and how do students really feel about it?

According to Mr. Howes, Dean of Community Life at Loomis Chafee, “There’s a lot of research out there that particularly shows a correlation between the advent of a smartphone and its relation to a steep increase in anxiety and depression.” Thus, a new cell phone policy was adopted in order to promote healthier phone usage as well as community bonding at Loomis. Mr. Howes also wants to emphasize that this policy was the conclusion to a variety of perspectives and voices. He says, “I want to make clear that [the policy] was designed after a lot of research made by students and faculty. We had a committee of students and faculty, and this was where we landed after a compromise between all those constituents, understanding that it will continue to be an iterative process.”

There are also many questions about the effectiveness of the new policy. Shane Lischin ’26, leader of the Student Council task group for the Cell Phone Policy, explains, “We came to this policy after many different drafts and ideas about how to address phone use. If the policy seems, by the end of the year, to be achieving its goals of positively impacting student-phone relationships and community bonding, it will be seen as successful, and if otherwise, it will be re-evaluated.”

Currently, students are bustling with anticipation and prediction about the effects of this policy on boarding and day students alike. Kaylee Wang ’28 expresses her thoughts about the new Cell Phone Policy and what it could bring to her life: “I think it’s a good policy because it will help me limit my screen time since I definitely have an issue with that. I think I’ll use it [my phone] a lot less during the daytime, especially during school. This could probably help me with getting schoolwork done because then I’m more effective.” However, she also acknowledges that the policy is not perfect, and there are some issues it could cause for her as a day student. Kaylee states, “There's a lot of times where my family needs to contact me for things during the school day, and it’s kind of inconvenient if I always need to ask the teacher to use my phone. I think more exceptions could be made for day students.”

Kin Asvanund ’27 says, “It [the policy] would definitely change how I manage my time and how much I use my phone during and between classes, but it would be a positive change to my life. Most of the time in the dining hall, when I’m bored, I just pick up my phone and watch reels. But if I can’t use my phone, it will force me to socialize a lot more and widen my social circle a lot.”

There is no doubt that the Cell Phone Policy will initiate a period of change at Loomis. Ultimately, however, as Kaylee puts it, “Loomis Chaffee is always trying to create policies for the better, so more people need to try and view it on a more positive side.”