Too Young to Scroll?

How (and why) schools are dialing down distractions for young learners

By Kierstin Gunsberg | March 22, 2025

The human brain is a magnificent thing, capable of unconsciously processing millions of bits of stimuli every second—the cool glow of overhead fluorescents, a teacher’s shoes clicking against linoleum, and the woody aroma of a freshly sharpened pencil.

What the brain isn’t so great at is consciously handling all that stimuli at once. Instead, it filters through what’s most relevant in the moment and offloads the rest using its reticular activating system (RAS). It’s what allows the sound of shoes and the glare of bright lights to fade into the background so the mind can focus on a history lesson or jotting down homework notes.

That natural filtering process is one reason a bill proposing a statewide school cell phone ban—along with all the distracting push notifications, social updates, and alerts that come with them—was introduced in March. If it becomes law, proponents of the Wait Until 8th movement, a national campaign advocating for delaying cell phone use until high school, say it will be long overdue.

Northern Michigan Schools Take Action

Several districts in northern Michigan have already taken steps to curb cell phone use and classroom distractions for their young learners.

“I think a lot of districts are looking at what we’re doing,” says Dr. John VanWagoner, superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), where a revised cell phone policy for preK-8 students took effect at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The policy prohibits cell phone use on school premises for younger students, whose developing brains are even less equipped to filter distractions than their teenage counterparts.

So far, says VanWagoner, “Overall, it’s been good. We’re always trying to look for ways to improve a little bit, but the kids have been rather respectful and following the policy.” And, he adds, “The staff and parents have been satisfied,” too, despite some initial worries about how the new guidelines might affect communication between students and their families.

One of the biggest concerns for both parents and students was how they would coordinate after-school pickup. VanWagoner says TCAPS has worked closely with families to ensure that isn’t an issue. One tool the district uses to keep parents and students connected is BrightArrow, a communication platform that allows TCAPS to send emails and text messages with important school updates.

For urgent messages, like a last-minute change in pickup plans, VanWagoner encourages parents and guardians to call the school office directly. Likewise, he says, school staff will call home if there’s an important update about a student.

“You know, for many, many years before cell phones, people called the office. We still have phones. We have email and those kinds of things that they could do with our staff.” And, he says. “We can get a message to a student pretty darn quick.”

“Away for the Day” at Suttons Bay

The positive impact of these limited-phone-use policies outweighs any initial hesitation, says Casey Petz, superintendent of Suttons Bay Public Schools, where a similar policy is in place for elementary students.

For students through 5th grade, an “Away for the Day” policy means that “we shouldn’t see your cell phone at any time,” says Petz, adding that his district also utilizes BrightArrow for communication. “Some parents will send their students to school with a cell phone. But the expectation at the elementary level is that it remains in your backpack. It’s not part of the daily learning environment.”

For older students, including those in middle school, there’s more flexibility based on individual principals’ and teachers’ policies. But, removing phones entirely from the elementary grades has helped refocus students on their primary purpose at school: learning.

Michigan schools are required to meet instructional time minimums and, according to Petz, “Every one of those days, every one of those hours of instruction, every one of those minutes—it counts.” Minimizing cell phone distractions has maximized the effectiveness of those teaching hours, with students showing more engagement and less anxiety throughout the day.

“We had a teacher who retired during the peak of COVID,” says Petz, explaining that when the teacher returned to substitute in the district after Suttons Bay implemented its cell phone policy, she noticed a marked difference in the classroom environment. “When I spoke to her, she was like, ‘I just can’t believe the impact that the devices were having on the students. It is so nice to not have to battle these cell phones.’”

Before the change, Petz says, students often hid phones under their desks, stealthily checking apps and sneaking in games during lessons. And while there was “some pushback” at first, it wasn’t too dramatic.

“I think most families can understand when they see both sides, how that [phone use] might be a pretty big distraction to learn math while checking your cell phone for whatever message just came through.”

More Than Just Academics

Advocates of the Wait Until 8th movement aren’t only concerned with academic success. Even for students who are homeschooled or attend non-traditional schools, limiting access to screens and especially to social media, has its merits. Studies have linked excessive social media use to increased anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia in students.

“I think we all need a break,” says Petz of the effects of increased screen time not only in the classroom, but outside of it too.

He’s seen firsthand how cutting off the constant connection to peer pressure has benefited his students. “They’re actually really relieved to not have that hanging over them,” he says. “Like, ‘I don’t have to worry about what somebody’s saying online about me right now.’”

But as published research like Cambridge University’s 2021 "The Effects of Video Games on Creativity" suggests, not all screen time is created equal. When children use screens for educational purposes, creative expression, or positive social interaction, it can actually reduce anxiety and offer other cognitive benefits including boosting critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

That’s why Up North schools are careful to strike a balance. TCAPS’ VanWagoner points out that the district still integrates technology where appropriate. “So our kids are still getting a 21st-century learning experience,” he explains. “But without the distractions of something that can’t be controlled in a school environment.”