Look up and be present
“We really want to protect the last few years of their childhood.”
We all gravitate to our smart phones. It is safe to say that if we go anywhere, anytime, we will find people of any age looking down, locked to their phones. It is the age we live in.
But is it healthy? That is the question being raised by many schools across the country when it comes to our youth.
Tige Watson, the chief of Parent and Student Affairs and the director of Safety and Security at Valor Christian High School (Valor), said the research is clear: constant cell phone use is not good for us, especially young people. Citing New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt, Watson said the data speaks for itself.
According to Haidt, between 2010 and 2025, mental-health concerns have risen dramatically. Anxiety is up 134%, depression is up 106% and addiction and substance abuse are up 33%. During that same time, 46% of teens report being online almost constantly and spending 75% less time with friends than they did in 2010.
Watson said beyond the statistics, faculty at Valor see these struggles firsthand. “The stress, distraction, loneliness and exhaustion our students carry is real and growing. Social media can be a great way to connect, but it can also cause more isolation and anxiety that we can even imagine. How could we not take action?”
So, Valor did.
For one week after fall break in October 2025, the Valor freshman class was asked to serve as the pilot group, to keep their cell phones in their backpacks for the entire school day, bell to bell. No pockets, no checking in during passing periods, lunch or breaks. The goal was to have a clean break from cell phones during school hours.
The school called it the “Look Up” initiative and it was designed to encourage intentional engagement and presence with one another.
Watson said, “Students consistently reported feeling less stressed, more fulfilled and more connected. Many said they were more engaged with their families at home and that school simply felt better.” He continued that the students said that they benefited from moments of clarity sans smart phones.
From February 17-20 the cell-phone-free pilot program will expand to be school wide, during what is typically called V-week, a week to focus on mental health. Watson said, “Our hope is that students experience freedom—freedom from comparison and nonstop digital noise. We really want to protect the last few years of their childhood.”
Next year, Valor will publish a new cell phone policy to take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.
Changes are coming. And with them hopefully more meaningful ways of communicating and connecting.
By Karen Leigh; courtesy photo
