“Be Where Your Feet Are”: Benefits of Cell Phone-Free Schools

A bold decision was made in The Winnetka Public Schools to counter the growing disruption of personal technology in our learning environments. Yondr, a secure storage system for personal technology was implemented in grades 5-8 in September 2024. Dr. Kelly Tess is joined by Flossmoor School District 161 Superintendent, Dr. Dana Smith, who spearheaded the adoption of this program in Illinois. The conversation touches on research highlighted in the recent bestseller The Anxious Generation, including the impact of cell phone use on adolescents’ neurological development and mental health. Special guests, Carleton Washburne School students Ellie and Lulu, share their candid thoughts on the “new normal” in middle school in Winnetka. The upshot: “I feel like it's not that big of a deal…you get used to it.”