Pennsylvania teenagers aim to tackle child cellphone addiction with student-led initiative

Cellphones are a big part of everyday life, but studies show teens are spending too much time on their devices and it could be harming their mental health.

Now, some students in the Garnet Valley School District are trying to change that, starting with the next generation.

A group of Garnet Valley High School students visited Bethel Springs Elementary School on Wednesday to teach third graders how to use their phones without becoming addicted.

"The fact that we have such an abundance of technology and easy access to so many potentially harmful things really leaves an impact on many people growing up," Garnet Valley High School senior Zander Sereni said.

Seventeen-year-old Sereni is part of a student-led committee behind an initiative called Garnet Valley Screen Smart, which focuses on helping kids build healthier relationships with technology.

The effort comes at a time when screen use among teens is on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of teenagers spent four or more hours a day on screens between July 2021 and December 2023. It's a trend linked to poor sleep, fatigue, and anxiety.

The high schoolers are leading by example. They offered simple strategies to cut back on screen time, like completing homework or chores before using the phone, setting time limits and deleting social media apps.

"I just like to put my phone or my technology that distracts me in a whole other room that gets me into a headspace where I don't need to constantly look at my phone," Garnet Valley High School junior Saanvi Akurati said.

For 9-year-old Esther Hartigan, a third grader at Bethel Springs Elementary School, the message sticks. A fan of the online game Roblox, Esther said she plans to do other activities besides using her iPad.

"I'm probably going to spend more time outside because it's close to summer and the weather is going to be nicer," Esther said.

Sereni said he's already seeing a shift in how younger students think about screen time.

"Even at our high school, the amount of laughter that we see in the classrooms, the fact that people are talking with their friends bell to bell. I can really see it materializing in my own school," Zander said.

Garnet Valley School District superintendent Marc Bertrando said more student-led presentations are planned throughout the spring and fall. He said he hopes this becomes a model for other schools.

"I think we're going to make a big mistake by saying we're going to ban cell phones in schools because it ignores the reality of the situation," Bertrando said. "These devices are part of these children's lives."