@ECFS Tech Working Group Meeting

Tech Policy Updates

• New York State mandated phone-free policies in public/charter schools

• Fieldston High School going phone-free January 2026

  • Phone-free Mondays starting immediately as transition

• School implemented WiFi filtering and laptop monitoring capabilities

• Teachers can monitor/restrict student internet usage

• ECFS is researching AI.  It appears the school has a cautious approach

Fieldston Middle School Device Data

• 2024-25 baseline: 20% no device, 33% other device, 47% iPhone

• 2025-26 current: 26% no device, 43% other device, 31% iPhone

  • 16% decrease in iPhone adoption

  • 6% increase in no-device families

• Students register devices through Magnus system for tracking

Seven Back-to-School Tech Suggestions

• #1 - Low-tech alternatives implementation

  • Landlines seeing resurgence (featured on Today Show)

  • Board games, newspapers, screen-free playdates

  • Increased autonomy/freedom for kids instead of phone dependency

• #2 - Screen time guidelines (from “Screen Damage” book)

  • Suggestions from Screen Damage

    • Target no screen time, if you can

    • Under 30 min/day is okay, no detectable negative effects

    • Between 30-60 min/day, drawbacks emerge, but seem small

  • Possible approach for families

    • Under 12: target 30 minutes/day maximum

    • 12-18: target 60 minutes/day maximum

  • Other guidelines

    • No screens in bedrooms, no screens before school, no screens 90 minutes before bed

• #3 - App/media research before allowing

  • Use community WhatsApp for parent feedback

  • Several ways to research apps and media including:

    • Children and Media Australia

    • Common Sense Media

• #4 - Parental controls at three levels

  • Device level (iPad, iPhone settings)

  • App level (Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox controls)

  • WiFi level (Eero, Griffin products for home filtering)

  • Resources are available on the ethicaltech.net web site

  • ECFS tech team offers setup assistance at help@ecfs.org

• If you have a high school student and have allowed SnapChat, three safety recommendations from Sam Chapman: 

  • Parent must know child’s password

  • Turn off Snap Maps and Quick Add/Find Friends features

• #5 - Family modeling behavior

  • No-tech dinners when dining out

  • Parents leave phones in other rooms during family time

  • Family device agreements with rules for all members including adults

• #6 - Family Media Plans

  • Can you a media plan to memorialize your home approach to technology

  • Can work for both parents and kids

• #7 - Educational content sharing with teens

  • “Can’t Look Away” documentary (Bloomberg)

  • Angela Duckworth’s Bates College commencement speech on phone placement

  • Andrew Huberman podcast on study habits

  • “Social Dilemma” movie for awareness of attention manipulation

  • More links are available on the web site

Parent Device Solutions

• Popular alternatives to smartphones

  • Sunbeam flip phones for music/basic communication

  • iPod Touch for WiFi-only music access

  • Lightphone

  • Family landlines

• Parent experiences shared

  • Phone-free kids remain socially connected and active

  • Sheetal’s daughter’s friend envied her flip phone over iPhone complexity

Community Resources and Engagement

• Monthly meeting structure planned

  • October: Group chats presentation (partnered with Grace Church)

  • Future topics: YouTube/video games, ed tech, AI, addictive tech awareness

• Communication channels

  • Website updates with more resources

  • Monthly email newsletter

  • Active WhatsApp chat for article sharing and parent questions