udents go about their days, many have become reliant on their phones for various tasks. For incoming BHS freshmen, the availability of their schedule and classes online is key to a smooth transition without the fear of getting lost. Those looking to reach out to a friend for lunch plans send a quick text to coordinate when they’re available. For many, having their device on them feels comforting; a phone is a sort of all-purpose appliance that provides shortcuts and ease with completing everyday tasks.
“I use my phone in between classes to listen to music and check my messages,” said BHS sophomore Izzy Moren. While BHS students’ are granted relatively free phone access throughout the day, some Bay Area students’ mobile device usage is being increasingly restricted.
California Governor Gavin Newsom implemented Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act, on Sept. 23, 2024, requiring academic institutions throughout the state to adopt new, stricter phone policies that work towards “limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones.”
Along with signing Assembly Bill 272 in 2019, which granted schools access to limit or restrict phone usage at school, Newsom has continued to push for a less tech-reliant learning environment. His newest law regarding phone use in schools, however, has led to the most drastic changes in terms of digital policy.
According to the BUSD website, “Personal mobile devices must be turned off and put away during instructional time.” The wording, specificity, and rigidity of this guideline differs significantly compared to that of other Bay Area schools. “Our phone policy is that our phones must not be shown on campus from bell to bell,” Sadie Hartman, a Piedmont High School junior, said, “They don’t allow it in your pocket or in your hand.”
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) has similarly implemented bell-to-bell policies. Those attending OUSD middle and high schools have no access to their phones for the duration of the school day. They’re required to store them in pouches that require students to close and lock them, and may only be unlocked at ‘unlocking bases,’ which are accessible at specified exits.
Unlike other school districts in the area, BHS doesn’t have a specific requirement for how educators enforce the “phone ban.” Teachers throughout BHS have unique systems and rules to separate students from their phones as they provide instruction. Most use phone caddies, with rows of pockets that students place their devices in. “I take attendance through the phone caddy,” said Helen Zou, a Berkeley International High School (BIHS) Global Literature and Academic Choice (AC) World Literature teacher, “If (a student’s) phone isn’t there, then they’re marked either absent or tardy.”
Since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, the influence of smartphones has become a huge part of daily life, dictating how many communicate, focus, and, most importantly for students, learn. “Restricting mobile devices during instructional hours … keeps classroom focus where it belongs, which is on active learning,” Cassandra Tesch, the BHS Dean of Students, said.
The average American teenager spends 7.5 hours on screens per day, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). “As a school community, our top priority is to support student learning and emotional well-being while ensuring safety on campus,” Tesch said.
With mobile devices acting as the primary source of communication, navigation, and information, their utility is endless. As phone technology continues to advance, the ways in which they are used will follow the same trend. BUSD policies will continue to adapt, but the future for student phone usage is still unknown.