I am a Concord resident and parent of two students at Alcott and Concord Middle School. As a parent, school volunteer, and nurse, I am deeply concerned about the negative impact of personal devices on students and the school day.
While I appreciate efforts like phone caddies, enforcement remains inconsistent, and phones continue to disrupt learning, strain teachers, and diminish student engagement. Beyond the classroom, unrestricted phone use in hallways and cafeterias weakens community and focus.
State leaders are addressing this issue. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, state Sen. Julian Cyr, and state Rep. Alice Peisch have introduced The STUDY Act, alongside several other bills, to promote distraction-free education. These efforts have strong backing from parents and advocacy groups.
The data is alarming:
- Teens spend nearly five hours daily on social media. (APA)
- Three-plus hours of social media use doubles the risk of poor mental health. (U.S. Surgeon General)
- 97% of students use phones during school. (Common Sense Media)
- Students spend 25% of their school day on phones. (Seattle Children’s Research Institute)
Beyond academics, smartphones contribute to cyberbullying, privacy violations, and decreased social-emotional skills. A true phone-free policy — where devices are off, locked away, and inaccessible from first to last bell — is the only effective solution.
Removing phones from schools would give students seven hours free from social media’s pressures, allowing them to focus on learning and personal growth. Concord has historically led on important issues — now is the time to act. Please implement a phone-free policy for the 2025-26 school year.
Lauren Kopcso
Cambridge Turnpike
