In the age of smartphones, schools have become quieter, less spirited, and less interactive. Due to the modern-day iPhone, we see more snapping, scrolling, and streaming consuming users. They’re trapped interacting with their screens rather than with real-life engagement.
As a freshman, it was a necessity that I showed up to every game and cheered my heart out. This year’s freshmen show up but are buried in their phones on the bleachers. While technology has its benefits, the widespread use of phones in schools is undoubtedly diminishing school spirit in ways we may not even realize.
School spirit thrives on participation whether it’s cheering at pep rallies, dressing up for spirit week, or supporting the school’s sports teams, they all play a vital role in school spirit. However, when students are more focused on the amount of followers they have, or the way they appear on social media, enthusiasm fades. The once-electric energy of a school event has been dulled and replaced by the glow of phone screens.
Now you may be asking yourself, what are the long-term effects of this? Who even cares if a couple of students are buried in their phones? Why should I care? The biggest reason this matters is because, with less social interaction, there’s more isolation.
A key part of school spirit is the sense of community it builds among students. Traditionally, the school was a place to make friends and interact socially– lunchtime conversations, group activities, and hallway laughter. Now students are more likely to sit and walk silently with headphones in, tuning out the world around them. This lack of face-to-face interaction creates a more disconnected student body, weakening the bonds that make the school feel like a unified team.
In this graph, the rise in depression and anxiety as technology has advanced for high schoolers. Originally in 2014, you can see lower numbers of depression and anxiety and in 2022-2023, those numbers have risen dramatically. Many researchers believe that the increase in technological use in schools has directly affected student’s mental health and ability to perform as well as being an overall safety concern. According to the National School Safety and Security Service, “Cell phones have been used for making threats to individual students, cyberbullying, instigating fights, and other school safety disruptions.”
The good news is that school spirit isn’t dead– it’s just in need of revival, alongside the social interactions our students make daily.
Schools can take steps to encourage engagement by promoting in-person interactions and organizing school events that make students excited to participate. By molding and shaping our freshman class now we have a greater chance to keep school spirit alive and change later generations.
Encouraging students to be present in the moment– whether it be at pep rallies, games, or even during lunch– can go a long way in restoring the energy and enthusiasm that define a spirited school. In conclusion, by making an effort to put phones down and engage with school events, students can bring back the unity, excitement, and pride that make school spirit truly special.
