Dear Watertown Community Members:
As parents and residents of Watertown, we have closely followed the discussions of the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) PED Task Force regarding personal electronic devices (PEDs) in our schools. While we understand the initial hesitation some feel regarding a complete ban, the more we examine the data and the neurobiology of our children, the clearer it becomes: a full, bell-to-bell ban for grades 9-12, including passing time and lunch, is not just a restrictive policy, but a necessary step to protect our students’ mental health and academic futures.
The academic benefits of removing smartphones are undeniable. Research shows that schools implementing such bans see significant increases in GPA and academic outcomes, with a particularly powerful impact on mathematics scores. Furthermore, the mental health implications are staggering; one major study found that these bans led to a 60% decline in consultations with specialists for psychological symptoms and a 29% decline in GP visits for the same issues.
Locally, our own Youth Risk Behavior Survey reveals that 71% of Watertown High School students spend three or more hours on screens daily, not including homework. Alarmingly, 42% of these students have expressed that they actually want to reduce the time they spend on their phones, suggesting they are looking to us to provide the boundaries they struggle to set for themselves.
Some argue that high school is the time to teach “responsibility” and self-regulation. However, medical experts at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) note that the brain regions responsible for mature self-control are not fully developed until adulthood, typically around age 25. Expecting a teenager to override the dopamine hit triggered by devices, which activate the same neural circuits as addictive chemical stimulants, is to disregard the neurological reality of the adolescent brain. Furthermore, lenient “off-and-away” policies that allow phones in hallways or on “silent” are often ineffective. Even the mere presence of a nearby phone reduces cognitive capacity and can take a student up to 20 minutes to regain focus after a single notification.
We also cannot ignore the permanent impact of having cameras, text messaging and social media access available throughout the school day. Parents and educators warn that inappropriate media posted online can “haunt” students into the future, potentially damaging their reputations during college admissions or job interviews years later. A full ban also provides an essential break from the “24/7” cycle of cyberbullying, which 46% of students in banned environments report has significantly decreased.
We hear the concerns regarding logistics and safety. However, school safety experts actually warn that students using phones during emergencies can be dangerous, as it jams communication lines and emergency response coordination, can spread misinformation, and increases risk for missing life-saving instructions. For families facing family and/or immigration emergencies, best practices suggest that such sensitive information should be handled with adult support and through secure channels to minimize a digital footprint. For everyday after-school plans, our students can develop essential planning skills in advance or use office phones and email, strategies that have already worked successfully for decades.
We urge the Watertown community to support a bell-to-bell ban that includes passing times and lunch. Current data at the High School shows that phone use between classes creates high levels of hallway distraction that interrupts the start of instructional time and that the Doorman app has failed its promise to truly brick phones during classes. Everything is pointing toward this ban being the best thing for our kids.
It would be helpful for the WPS School Committee to hear from constituents now. While some communication has suggested an all-out ban is too restrictive, we believe the data proves that such an opinion is unfounded. Our children deserve a school day dedicated to learning, connection, and peace of mind.
Sincerely,
Concerned Watertown Parents and Community Members:
Kara Lopez Salvi
Shantu Salvi
Shruti Peri
Pat Rathbone
Chelley Casey
Erin Ward
Zach Ward
Gretchen Dunoyer
Jean Dunoyer
Kelly McGlennon
Holly Cachimuel
Jacky van Leeuwen
Jennifer Wolfrum
Nicole O’Hern
Sean O’Hern
Lisa Lucile Owens
Jill Caporiccio
Shannyn De Arman
Jason Merkin
Naomi Shea
Richard Shea
Paulo Barrozo
Sarah Shimoff
Aaron Shimoff
Elen Zurabyan
Jonathan Peck
Kristen Chapron
Chris Chapron
Martina Hughes
Cyril Hughes
Jeremiah Casey
Grete Wood
Elizabeth Peck
Dawn Slaven