Des Moines schools explores no cell phones to improve mental health

Hoover High School is on a mission to help kids kick their social media and smartphone "addiction" in the 2024-25 school year, says principal Qynne Kelly.

Why it matters: Studies have shown certain types of digital content, such as social media, can have addictive qualities and that consuming too much can be harmful to children, particularly adolescents.

• "I think about Surgeon General warnings on cigarettes and alcohol, and yet we are not having that type of conversation with our young people," says Jackie Norris, chair of the Des Moines school board.

By the numbers: Pandemic lockdowns hurt teen mental health, but problems were already emerging starting around 2012 when social media and phone usage spiked.

• Rates of depression and anxiety among U.S. adolescents were "fairly stable in the 2000s" but "rose by more than 50% in many studies from 2010 to 2019," writes Jonathan Haidt, author of "The Anxious Generation" in The Atlantic .
• The suicide rate for kids between the ages of 10 and 14 tripled between 2007 and 2021, according to the CDC .
• The share of U.S. high school girls who considered suicide spiked from 19% in 2011 to 30% in 2021, per the CDC . The share of boys who considered suicide rose from 13% to 14%.

Driving the news: When school starts in August, Hoover students must have their cell phones and headphones put away in their backpacks during class.

• The consequences for not following the rules start with taking away students' phones.
• Students who refuse to give up their phones will be asked to leave school. Repeat offenders will require a parent to come pick up their phones.

State of play: Most people who walk into a school building today will be "shocked" by the number of kids on phones, Norris says.

• The result: There's not only less focus during classroom lessons, but also reduced camaraderie and face-to-face interactions among students, Norris says.

What they're saying: "It is one of those addition-by-subtraction things where removing something makes everyone's lives a lot easier and improves performance, says Mike Draper, Raygun owner and a DMPS parent helping with community cell phone conversations.

Yes, but: Enforcing the new rules can't solely be the responsibility of teachers; reducing cell phone usage will also depend on parent involvement, including parents examining their usage, Norris says.

• Some parents say they want to be in contact with their kids, especially in light of rising school shootings.

The big picture: The majority of high schools in the Des Moines metro, including Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines, leave cell phone use up to teacher discretion.

What's next: For now, Hoover is the only Des Moines high school implementing a no-phone policy. Superintendent Ian Robert's discretion will decide whether to implement it district-wide.

• Roosevelt High School is holding a public meeting tomorrow from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on mental health and cell phones.