Arecent article in an industry publication discussed the issue of banning cell phones within schools. Ask any group of teachers, school leaders, or students about this topic, and a lively discussion is sure to ensue. Many teachers and school leaders agree that keeping cell phones out of the classroom can help student engagement. However, banning cell phones in the classroom is only the first step in correcting current cultural challenges, and Catholic schools are well poised to take the needed follow-up actions.
Although banning cell phones during the school day can improve student learning, limiting the amount of time children spend in front of screens is only part of the equation. As Catholic school educators, we know our goal is broader than classroom engagement, as important as this is. The mission of Catholic education is to form the whole person while leading that person to Christ. Additionally, Catholic schools affirm the role of parents as primary educators of their children.
Therefore, in addition to keeping cell phones out of the classroom, equally important is teaching students to develop habits that lead toward overall human flourishing. These habits, which invite partnering with families, include practicing leisure, strengthening human relationships, and reclaiming the Lord’s Day.
Much has been written about the addictive nature and negative effects of smartphones, social media, online gaming, and pornography. Limiting screen time among children and adolescents can improve the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health of these students. However, in addition to limiting screen time, it is essential that we help students (and arguably adults) learn to fill their free time with something other than their phones.
In his Confessions, St. Augustine makes a significant observation. Even after discovering the truths of the Catholic faith and agreeing with their veracity, the great saint struggled to convert. Augustine admits that he resisted conversion because the habit of sin held him captive. Augustine says, “For the law of sin is the tyranny of habit, by which the mind is drawn and held, even against its will.” As Catholic schools, we have the opportunity to help students develop healthy habits, including the habit of practicing true leisure.
Josef Pieper is well known for his writings on leisure, and he argued that leisure must be defended. This defense of leisure is especially needed today in a screen-saturated, productive-all-thetime culture.
Teaching students to engage in activities that help us to grow as human beings is not only important, but it can be fun. Moreover, it can also be a rich opportunity for family partnership. One article suggests,
Schools can help ensure that parents are aware of the risks associated with smartphones and social media and their options in terms of delaying their kids’ access to them. Schools can’t tell parents what to do, but they can create opportunities for parents to come together and learn about these issues. ...
[Additionally], we need to talk about what we can offer that will be more compelling than an AI companion. What kind of youth sports, activities, or other face-to-face engagements are available and compelling enough to compete with screens?
Indeed, in addition to informing parents about the dangers of technology, teaching parents about true leisure, and inviting them to practice it within the home, can lead to enriching discussions and growth.
Pieper believes that true leisure is active, creative, contemplative, and leads to renewal. He also says that leisure is “the preserve of freedom, of education and culture, and of that undiminished humanity which views the world as a whole.”
Whether students engage in leisure activities such as reading great literature, listening to and creating beautiful music, creating art, playing games, enjoying nature, playing a sport, spending time with friends, or learning a new hobby or craft, what is important is that they develop a habit of leisure, thereby weakening the addictive grasp of digital technology. Removing the phones is one step. Equally important is helping students fill the phoneless void with healthy and enjoyable alternatives.
In addition to leisure activities, relationships also matter. In their fall 2025 Momentum article “Sirach, Virtue, and the Wisdom of Friendship,” Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, OP, and Karen Villa, Ph.D., highlighted the important role that friendship plays in childhood emotional development, the development of neuroplasticity, and character growth. The authors state,
Photos courtesy of Pamela Patnode, Ed.D., OblSB
Today’s children ... are growing up in the information age of complexity and loneliness and are taking refuge in superficial and virtual friendships ... that do little to help them find a sense of true belonging and further leave them feeling anxious about navigating the real world of true kinship that has depth, intimacy, and meaning.
As we strive to form the whole person, helping students develop healthy human relationships is an urgent priority. In her webinar on establishing AI policy in schools, Dr. Karen Rezach of The Ethics Institute shared a recent survey of 2,000 Gen Zers in which 83 percent of them said they could form a strong, personal relationship with an AI Bot. Additionally, 80 percent said they would marry an AI Bot.
These statistics suggest a distorted understanding of the human person and of human relationships, highlighting the need to not only limit time spent on phones but also to help students develop both the skills and the habit of engaging with human persons rather than digital bots. Because the most formative childhood relationships are typically established within the context of the family and the school, Catholic schools have a wonderful opportunity to nurture the parent-school relationship by prioritizing the fostering of human relationships.
Finally, to replace the overuse of electronic devices, we must help students develop healthy skills and habits, such as leisure and the formation of human relationships. In addition, developing the habit of honoring the Lord’s Day is also key to human flourishing.
In Dies Domini, St. John Paul II says that by reclaiming the Lord’s Day as God intended, we enter into the Lord’s rest with festivity, remembrance, community, and joy. More recently, in his book A Theology of Health: Wholeness and Human Flourishing, Tyler Vanderweele explains,
The creation narratives that the Scriptures begin with are an important source for discerning God’s intent for the human person. From the standpoint of Christian theology, God is the principal agent of healing and salvation, and restoration to wholeness is ultimately accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and God’s continuing work by the Spirit in the life of the Church. This is constitutive of flourishing ...
Notably, during the 2025-2026 academic year, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, in partnership with parishes and schools, has made a concerted effort to help families “Reclaim Sundays.” This effort includes offering numerous resources available free on the archdiocesan website and through the parishes and schools.
Although the challenges of digital technology are numerous and the negative effects on children and teens are alarming, Catholic schools have a tremendous advantage in providing solutions. By building habits that align with the mission of Catholic education, habits of leisure, relationship building, and honoring the Lord’s Day, Catholic schools can provide a pathway forward, a pathway toward hope, healing, and wholeness.
Pamela Patnode, Ed.D., OblSBis the former director of the Catholic School Leadership graduate certificate at The Saint Paul Seminary, the University of St. Thomas.Dr.pamela.patnode@gmail.com