As a student of New Milford High School, I am writing to express my concern about the recently implemented policy of placing our mobile devices in pouches during school classes. Not only do we, as students, feel that this infringes on our personal property rights, but we believe it is unnecessary given the existing deterrents in place for misuse of these devices.

We understand the importance of maintaining a focused learning environment. However, requiring the placement of personal cell phones in pouches goes beyond the need to limit distractions. It can lead to additional stress among students, who now must worry about the custody of their costly devices. A study by the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that even the presence of a smartphone, without checking it, can reduce cognitive capacity (JACR, 2017). We understand these findings, but we believe keeping our phones in our bags is a viable and less intrusive solution.

Cellphones have become an essential part of our daily lives, not just for social media interactions but also for safety reasons and personal organization. Denying us immediate access to our devices can be seen as denying us access to these critical aspects of our lives.

We believe that the existing punishments for inappropriate cellphone usage during school hours/classes are adequate deterrents and ones that encourage personal responsibility. Therefore, we propose a compromise where we are allowed to keep our devices in our bags with the present punitive repercussions for misuse/usage in class still in place.

With this petition, we are calling upon the school administration to reconsider the policy surrounding phone use. We are reaching out to the parents, teachers, students, and concerned citizens of New Milford to stand with us. Please sign our petition and help us promote a more balanced approach to cell phone regulation at New Milford High School.