Phone Policy Now Extends Into Weekends

Expanding on previous years’ changes, Deerfield modified its cell phone policy to require students to leave their phones in their dorms throughout the day. The change builds on a series of prior changes to the Academy’s phone policy. Dean of Students Heather Brown described the change as creating a “phone-free campus.” 

According to the student handbook, students’ phones must remain in the dorms at all times, with the exceptions being off-campus travel and independent exercise. This extended on the previous policy, which required phones to be kept in the dorms from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Mondays through Fridays.

According to the Head of School John Austin’s letter to families this summer, the change derived from Deerfield’s commitment to creating a “heads-up culture.” Dr. Austin wrote that even when phones are not actively being used, their presence can “divide attention, thin communal ties, and degrade the quality and depth” of students’ interactions with one another. 

The Academy has also conducted week-long trials in which students voluntarily gave up their phones entirely. 

Dr. Austin wrote that feedback from those students was “overwhelmingly positive,” with students reporting “more free time, more time with friends, enhanced focus, lower stress, and better sleep.” Based on the positive feedback, the Academy decided to extend the phone-free period beyond the academic day.

Ms. Brown said the goal of the new policy is not simply to prevent phone usage, but to remove the decision students have to make about whether to use them in the first place. By keeping phones in dorm rooms, she explained that students experience fewer opportunities to use their phones throughout the day. In doing so, prioritizing “face-to-face interactions and shared experiences” becomes a subconscious choice for students.

Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Brian Hamilton similarly connected the policy to Dr. Austin’s broader vision for Deerfield as a “pro-social” community, particularly during a “time when people are becoming more isolated.” 

He said Dr. Austin’s approach has been influenced by research on phones and social media, as well as concerns about the effect of constant scrolling on students’ ability to focus deeply. 

Mr. Hamilton added that phones can “shatter our attention,” and Deerfield has developed a shared commitment to help students interact more purposefully with the environment around them. The policy also reflects Deerfield’s leading position in moving to a phone-free campus among its peer schools. 

According to Ms. Brown, the policy evolved from collecting phones overnight to requiring students to keep them in their rooms. During conferences with deans of other schools, she said that Deerfield Administrators were asked about how the school has been able to successfully implement its phone policy. “I think Deerfield keeps pushing what is possible to expect of our students compared to our peer schools,” Ms. Brown said.

Students have experienced both benefits and drawbacks from the change. Helen Yang ’28 said that she has become less reliant on her phone since the policy was implemented. Last year, she would often bring her phone with her even when she did not need it, “just in case.” Now, she leaves it in her room and has realized that she does not always need to have it with her.

Other students have noticed more interaction in public spaces. Lucy Linnenbach ’27 said that “people are more responsive on campus. On the path, at all times now, especially in the Greer or public spaces on the weekends, no one is awkwardly on their phones.”

At the same time, Linnenbach said that the policy has changed the social environment of dorms in a different way. Because dorm rooms are now one of the few places where students can use their phones, she said she feels “less connected to people in the dorms.”

Yang has noticed a similar change in the atmosphere of campus, particularly on weekends. Although she has become less dependent on her own phone, she has also noticed “less movement on campus and less conversations happening during our free times,” adding that “especially on weekends you can notice how quiet it is.”

The possibility that students could become less social is something the administration is monitoring.

Mr. Hamilton explained it would be “foolish if we were to wade into a policy that ends up undoing the good work we’re doing here.” 

To oversee this potential drawback, the school is monitering student participation in activities, attendance, reports from faculty and other measures of student engagement. “We want to make this a very pro-social place where students learn how to interact with other people face to face,” Mr. Hamilton said.

The administration is still considering whether phones alone are to blame for changing youth social lives. Mr. Hamilton emphasized the importance of “weigh[ing] the evidence” and continuing to evaluate the policy to make sure it’s “informed by the best thinking.” 

Neither Ms. Brown nor Mr. Hamilton anticipated major changes to the cell phone policy. 

Mr. Hamilton said there have been no discussions about making the optional phone lockers in upperclassmen dorms mandatory, and he would “be surprised about a rollback or accommodations” in the near future. 

Ms. Brown similarly said that the school needs to “learn how this year goes” before making further adjustments.

As Deerfield continues to adapt to a campus without phones, the school will be watching whether the change produces the community it hopes to create. Six weeks into the school year, students are already noticing changes, but the longer-term effects of the policy remain to be seen.