The new WCC phone ban may seem like the administration’s tyrannical way to suck the last drop of life from the student body. But for many students, even the most screen-addicted, requesting a limitation is far from a hot take. 39.3% of students told Tatler “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they would support some form of phone restriction. Even among the notoriously screen-obsessed freshmen, that number only dropped to 34.4%. Phone restrictions are a good idea in the WCC and beyond. Here’s why.

High school is short
Most students will spend just over 5,000 hours in high school. That sounds like a long time, but in many ways it isn’t. There’s only so much time to read Tatler and connect with those around us; not just close friends, but people we don’t know as well. However, most of that time is spent on phones. Think of five-minute breaks during class, waiting in the lunch line, or even walking from class to class – these times could be spent with peers but are usually spent scrolling. The issue is that any interaction has to go both ways. As soon as one phone comes out, so do the rest. Peer pressure is strong, and when even something as simple as talking to someone of a different gender or grade has unspoken social norms, a single person can create an antisocial school culture.

We should be learning social skills, not losing them
It’s no secret that when you encounter an awkward silence, pulling out your phone is an easy answer. I’m not going to pretend I don’t stare at my phone to avoid eye contact from time to time; it’s like a “get out of jail free” card for hard or embarrassing moments. Of course, those moments aren’t enjoyable, but avoiding them now means we’ll be worse equipped for the ones we’ll eventually encounter. What would you do to fill an awkward silence if you didn’t have your phone? It’s better to find out sooner rather than later. There’s no point of being the coolest kid at Lakeside if you can’t communicate later in life.

Neither the place nor the time
School is a place of learning and social interaction, and knowing when to do what is one of the most important issues for Lakeside students. Free time at school already doesn’t look the same as it does during personal life, so asking students to study another time — and take a break from constant doom scrolling — is a fair way to improve student mental health. That said, taking advantage of free periods and other times to work is an important skill to learn early on. If every Lakeside student focused during their free period, there would certainly be less complaints about being overworked and overstressed. Like it or not, school is effectively our full-time job, and treating it with respect means understanding time management and self control.

Your phone won’t put out that fire
The most common counterargument I hear when I make this argument is that phones are a necessity to call parents if there is an emergency. In my opinion, that’s ridiculous. Firstly, is your phone really the first thing you would reach for in fire? If the building is burning down, your parents can’t do anything about it. Going outside is the most important thing — something phones actually distract from. If there was an emergency lockdown or a student needed to communicate with parents, there is no reason a teacher or advisor couldn’t give them access to their phone. Also, Lakeside and Titan HST already notify parents and guardians if an emergency happens, so there isn’t need for further contact anyway. As for coordinating on pickup, the same logic applies. Phones will still be available to access with an advisor’s permission or outside of school hours. Plus, having a computer allows students to email, or with a MacBook even text, their parents.

The WCC phone ban isn’t just the Student Government’s misguided mistake: it’s a data-backed, student-supported leap forward for connection and learning time management. Still, there are a few issues left to be worked out. One is enforcement: some people argue that the entire effort is pointless if it isn’t enforced, while others feel it better aligns with community expectations. Another is pushback from a few passionate students, even if many are in favor. The Student Government’s trial policy was lifted on May 28, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to go back to overusing cell phones. It’s our responsibility to practice self-control, even if it isn’t required. And while putting phones away in the short term may be hard, the rewards will come through in our performance at school and the connections we make along the way.