Every other month we get an update on what’s been happening recently at our Immanuel Lutheran High School, College and Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
This fall, students, parents, faculty, and staff at Immanuel Lutheran High School will need to make adjustments to a new sort of school day. No, the school day will not be longer or shorter, but it will be a bit different. Starting this school year, ILHS will be implementing new cell–phone rules that were developed by the faculty and Board of Regents over the course of last year.
Previously, students were not allowed to use cellphones during class, but they were able to use them between classes or over the lunch period. Starting in August, students may not possess, access, or use cellphones or personal electronic devices at ILHS during the entire school day (7:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.). Town students who bring their phones to school will be required to leave them in a locked storage system during the school day while they are on campus. Dorm students will leave their phones in a locked storage system in the dorms. If a parent, guardian, or student needs to communicate during the school day, a phone will be available in the Academic Center office.
Serious momentum toward revising the cellphone guidelines began in August 2024 in the faculty’s academic workshop, where they discussed a book review of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation. Throughout the fall, the faculty worked on developing new guidelines for cellphone use, announcing their implementation in November for the spring 2025 semester. Feedback from students and parents led to a delay in implementation as several helpful suggestions were considered. Work continued on refining the guidelines until the final form was announced in July.
Restricted cellphone use at school is not unique to ILHS. At least twenty-five states have policies that ban students from using cellphones in schools statewide or recommend that local school districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies. Among the dangers of cellphone use for children are sleep deprivation, reduced physical activity, increased exposure to harmful content, mental health challenges, social isolation, academic distraction, and cellphone addiction.
The ILHS faculty and administration realize that our regulations only account for about one third of a student’s day. We also realize that cellphones (or other technologies) are not evil in themselves; however, they do pose certain temptations and can affect people–especially young people–adversely. Finally, we also understand and recognize that parents have their own expectations regarding their children’s cellphone usage. Our new regulations, therefore, are intended simply to give students a break from their phones during the day and provide them increased opportunities to focus on their studies, and on face-to-face social interactions.
Since we are all sinful people living in a sinful world, we understand that these new cellphone guidelines are not perfect and that they will provide challenges to everyone involved. We pray that the Lord will provide us all with patience and understanding as we navigate this journey together. We are also thankful for our parents and students who have either voiced support or provided helpful suggestions as we all strive to provide guidance and support for our students.
is President of Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.