Phones Off. Friends On.

By now I am sure that you have all heard about the new laws in Ohio and therefore rules in Worthington that we will be following for this school year related to cell phones... basically, you aren't allowed to be using phones at all during the school day.

I know that at first this will likely create some anxiety among students and possibly even parents. Change is hard. The phones have become an extension of ourselves and the data about the number of times that we tap our phone to make sure we haven't missed any alerts even though we haven't received notifications is confirmation enough about how addicted we are to our phones. 

As we make this transition, know that it is normal to feel skeptical or uneasy about how this will work. There may be legitimate concerns like how can I reach my parent/ child in the day if it is an emergency, but in cases of emergency we will be able to help support you in the offices and with the landline phones. If you really need to reach your parent (or they really need to reach you) we will help to facilitate that communication. There is no question that part of the uneasy feeling comes from the times of discomfort when we aren't really feeling like we are connected to people around us and so jumping on our phones allows us to escape the present moment... but remember, EVERYONE around you will be feeling the same way and seeking connections from others around them too.

What about lunch time or in the hallways? Yep, no cell phones there too. And that is where I actually think the concepts of "Phones Off. Friends On." is going to pay off the most. You want to know what is happening with your friends, awesome, come to school and be present with them. You want to de-stress and power off your brain, great, let's focus on developing some new and different strategies that don't require you to be on your phone... which will help you now and for the rest of your life. There is no doubt that everyone will immediately be more approachable in the commons when people aren't just looking down at their phones. So who knows, maybe you're going to find a new forever friend that you never would have had the chance to meet and get to know if it wasn't for this new rule. 

Be Here Now is one of my favorite reminders... to be present with the people I am around at any given moment in time. To savor in the moments, the memories, the simplicity of life - no matter how boring or exciting. Because the people around me (and you) all deserve to have our time and attention just like you deserve to have that from those around you. And I am sure you have had times where you felt like someone was only halfway paying attention to you because they were also on their phone at the same time. Without phones, the effort to be present and "Be here now" will be a little bit easier and for that reason, I am confident that the district's call for "Phones Off. Friends On." will prove to be true. 

Remember, if you are feeling stressed about this change, I am here to listen and give you a safe place to share those fears and frustrations. Change is hard, but you will get through this adjustment. (In case it helps, remember that it is actually kind of like going back to middle school rules because you weren't allowed to use your phones there either and you survived that and MS years are way harder than HS years.)