Smartphones Swapped for Dumbphones at Holy Rosary School!
During Lent, Grade 1-7 pupils at Holy Rosary School for Girls in Edenvale, Johannesburg, participated in a 40-day smartphone-free challenge, a first in South Africa. The school has since taken the initiative further by allowing learners to experience “old-school” cellphones with the “80 Days – Phone Like It’s 1999” challenge to keep the spirit alive.
Beginning in May, this new challenge invited both primary and high school students, along with staff members, to surrender their smartphones to the school. In exchange, participants received sponsored feature phones, effectively transporting them back to the late 1990s. Known as “dumbphones”, these devices have limited functionality and can be used only for calls and SMS text messages, with no access to social media platforms, including WhatsApp.
80-Day Challenge
Holy Rosary principal Natalie Meerholz, the driving force behind the “SmartAge for Smartphone” campaign, also gave up her smartphone. She said: “Some of our girls have completed both challenges and been without their phones for 120 days, which is really impressive, proving it’s possible to break free from the digital trap. We were exceptionally excited that despite major fear of missing out and plenty of peer pressure, eight of our participants were in matric.”
The initiative doubled the duration of the school’s initial 40-day challenge, which saw 44% of students successfully complete the full abstinence period. Encouragingly, the 80-day challenge achieved an impressive completion rate of nearly 89%, with 38 pupils from Grade 4-7 and 18 pupils from Grade 8-12 successfully finishing.
Meerholz explained that the extended timeframe was designed to reinforce the behavioural changes made during the first campaign. “It takes time for new routines to stick,” she said. “Furthermore, for a digital detox to make a significant and lasting impact on the brain, it needs to be for an extended length of time.”
Digital Detox Results
In developing the framework for the challenge, the school took into consideration that parents felt the need to be in contact with their children, especially if they were away from home for extended periods. Thanks to Kismet Yarns’ sponsorship of feature phones, Holy Rosary School was able to remove that potential barrier to participating.
Students reported feeling a difference, with some noting that, although they missed their phones, they felt more present. A Grade 10 pupil admitted that she could sleep through the night and felt significantly less distracted.
Another notable outcome was the increased free time students enjoyed, previously consumed by constant phone-checking and notifications. To support this newfound freedom, the school organized monthly activities to encourage students to explore diverse interests. Crocheting, which had gained popularity during the initial Lenten challenge, became a widespread phenomenon throughout the school, culminating in a massive crocheting charity event near the campaign’s end, drawing over 600 attendees who crocheted simultaneously. R60,000 was raised from the fundraising activities, which the school plans to contribute toward paediatric cardiac surgery, aligning with their 2024 theme of “Hearts of Fire.”
Effects of Technology on the Young Brain
Brad Huddleston, the internationally renowned author of Digital Cocaine, addressed the broader school community, discussing the addictive nature of technology and comparing its effects on the brain to those of drug use. “For your brain, there is no difference between half a line of cocaine and an hour of playing a video game,” he said. The constant dopamine hits from notifications and scrolling foster addictive behaviours, rewiring neural pathways and shrinking areas of the brain linked to memory, impulse control, decision-making, and emotional regulation.
While no local data is available, Fortune magazine has reported that US teens spend the equivalent of a 40-hour workweek on their devices — averaging 8,5 hours a day on screens and social media.
Meerholz noted with concern that social media robs children of real experiences and connections, causing social harm. “This level of overuse is not only altering how they think but is also physically reshaping our children’s brains.”
As global awareness of smartphone misuse and overuse grows, Holy Rosary’s innovative approach is gaining recognition beyond its campus. The school, as a pioneer in delaying smartphone ownership in South Africa, has been approached by several educational institutions seeking guidance on implementing similar campaigns.
“Delaying smartphone ownership will minimise damage during the formative years,” Meerholz said. She acknowledged that, when used thoughtfully, smartphones can be integral to a teenager’s life, fostering beneficial social connections and providing exposure to global news and perspectives. She advocates for parents to delay smartphone adoption, suggesting the ideal age for ownership is “as late as possible,” with 14 as the earliest age and no social media until 16.
Future Goals
Meerholz hopes that the school’s “Phone-Free 40 Days” and “80 Days: Phone Like It’s 1999” challenges will serve as catalysts for a broader movement.
“By encouraging our pupils to disconnect from their devices and engage with the world around them, we’re nurturing the growth of capable, confident, and happy adults. These programmes offer an innovative solution to the growing concerns about smartphone addiction, addressing the links between excessive use and mental health issues in young people, she said.
“Our goal is to foster healthy, balanced childhoods in this digital age, and we hope to see the SmartAge for Smartphone movement grow beyond our school walls. This is just the beginning of real, meaningful change in how we approach technology and child development.”
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