With the start of the new John Champe school year, students have had to adjust to new rules such as the bell schedule change. But the most shocking rule for students to adjust to is the new phone policy which is being enforced across the nation. Cell phones and listening devices must be silenced in classes much to the irritation of students. Teachers have now brought boxes and pouches for students to place their phones so they do not serve as a distraction in class. This new policy has been instituted in an effort to reduce stress and mental problems for students, studies show that students who are on their phone for an average of 3.5 hours a day have an increased risk of mental health issues. The policy also makes students pay more attention in class, and while teachers and faculty supervise this new system, students see it as overly strict, even during study hall their phones are taken away regardless if they have or don’t have any assignments.
“The new policy restricts all students which isn’t something any of us appreciate,” junior Brody Harris said. “Even if we don’t have anything to do in classes like Advisory or Study Hall they take it away which no one likes.”
