Returning to Naperville Central for a fresh start to a new school year on Aug. 14, 2025 was exciting for most students. On my first day of sophomore year, the hallways were filled with students comparing schedules and excitedly squealing to see their friends again. But a second conversation lurked under the festivities, one filled with mutterings of annoyance and frustration.

Aug. 14 marked the launch of a new district-wide phone policy where students are required to place their phones in designated pockets during class time, effectively separating them from their devices for the entire period. While these “phone jails” have been a staple in classrooms for years, most teachers didn’t push students to use them past the first couple of days of school. Now, all teachers in every class enforce the policy with vigor.

In the wake of this new rule, I’ve heard more and more of my friends complaining about the policy and its inconvenience. Instead of having their phones with them, students have to remember their individual pocket number for every single period where they drop off and pick up their phones. Although most seem to believe that the phone policy is simply another attempt to restrict students, I think it’s a step in the right direction.

The phone policy isn’t just meant to separate us from our phones; it’s meant to separate us from distraction, and it does a surprisingly amazing job at this.

Last year looking around the room at any given time, you could see at least one student on their phone. Whether it was during a lecture, discussion or just independent time, it was a given that someone would be on their device. Students often openly snapped or scrolled on TikTok during class, even if they weren’t fully done with their work. As someone who struggles to cut back on screentime myself, I would often find myself choosing my phone over putting in 5 extra minutes of worktime.

Now, when students finish their classwork, they’re forced to work on homework or to talk to friends instead of mindlessly scrolling. During worktime, classrooms are filled with students busy at work, instead of zombies staring down at their phones. I’ve noticed a significant boost in my own productivity because when I finish work early, I work on other assignments rather than reaching for my device.

Being required to part ways with their devices also pushes students to search for real-life connections with their classmates. Because of my lack of phone access during class, I’ve found myself talking to people I never would’ve even interacted with had I had my phone. The policy that originally seemed unnecessary, even useless, has turned into a blessing in disguise as I’ve found myself more productive and social than ever before.

We’re in an age where screentime is higher than ever, and teens are becoming increasingly attached to their phones. And while the policy may feel restrictive at first, separation from your device for 45 minutes won’t kill you. This new rule offers an invaluable opportunity to let go of our phone dependence as students and actually notice the world around us. After all, we have the rest of our lives to stare at our devices, but only 4 years to experience Central – why waste them?