Penna Dexter

As school ended this year, one northwest Washington DC educator commenced a summer project to try to pry students away from screen technology. She knows that, when school’s out, many of them have full access to cellphones, which are off limits during class time when school is in session. She worries that, rather than playing sports with friends or doing something like going to a museum, they’ll stay buried in screens all summer. The Washington Post reported that Diana Smith, principal at Washington Latin Public Charter School, pledged to pay $100 out of her own pocket to each student who could forgo electronics and video screens every Tuesday between the end of school and the day it resumes in August. At the end of summer, two adults will need to send a letter to Ms. Smith verifying that Tuesdays were indeed tech free. No phones, computers, tablets, video games or television. If every student succeeds, Ms. Smith will be out $16,000. She says she only expects about 50 kids to qualify for the money. She’s been saving up all year. As principal of this 5th-to-12th-grade charter school, Ms. Smith has observed that teenagers are addicted to their phones to the point that they are losing sleep because they are texting in the middle of the night. And she thinks kids’ overuse of social media has “intensified middle and high school drama.” She’s not thrilled about the idea of bribing kids, but feels she’s gotta try something. The problem is real. In an extensive study of Americans ages 6 to 85, researchers found that, by age 19, the average American is as sedentary as a 60-year-old. The lead author, who is from the National Institute on Aging, says the results suggest that, “social structures in place may not be supporting physical activity.” The mindset of the government researcher is to change “social structures,” whatever that means. I like Diana Smith’s idea. Kids need to learn to love time away from their screens.