Waldorf curriculum at Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm places an emphasis on direct human interaction and authentic experiences. Smart devices and screens can inhibit a student from fully embracing one-on-one human interactions with fellow students and teachers during their school day, and interferes with immersing oneself in present-moment, experiential learning opportunities.

Research clearly tells us there are many issues associated with premature Smartphone usage such as Continuous Partial Attention (CPA), early consumerism, mental health struggles, instances of online bullying, and exposure to explicit online content; all of which are proven to have detrimental effects on a young person’s social, emotional, and psychological stability and wellbeing.

Families joining our community should understand we hold an ideal and strive to keep all our students screen, electronic,and social media-free until at least Grade 6.

Further, we hold the value that it is beneficial to keep them screen, electronic, and social media-free well beyond this age.

We recommend no smart phone until Grade 9 and no social media use until Grade 11.

Two newer parents in the Summerfield community beautifully share below why this topic was a key factor in selecting Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm for their children. Editor’s Note: New parents Laura and Dr. Jane have been in conversation about their enthusiasm for the screen-free/low-tech policy at Summerfield, and wanted to contribute to the larger conversation on this very important subject.

 

Let Kids Be Kids– Laura, parent of G4 & G7 students

“It has been a year since we moved our family from the East Bay in the middle of the school year. One of the reasons we moved is because the use of screens in schools was so rampant. We came here in search of a group of people who felt the same way we did — who wanted children to have a childhood, run wildly, get muddy, connect with each other in person and experience the world with their senses. When we first visited Summerfield, we saw high schoolers running through the campus laughing and playing tag. We saw a trio of teenagers pushing carts filled with baby chicks. They were acting like their authentic selves and were filled with joy. This stood in sharp contrast to the smaller adults we knew in the Bay Area, who wear revealing clothes, and display the attitude trained by watching sitcoms and rom coms. And what was also missing was the constant small light of a cell phone that accompanies nearly every middle and high schooler outside of Summerfield.

Our year has exceeded our expectations. What has stood out as we have gotten to know the students even better is seeing them thrive, free from early media influence. In the fall, we witnessed a 12th grader give a magnificent performance in Pride and Prejudice and then take out the trash. In choral concerts, students sing proudly and expressively — not one of them looking miserable nor self-conscious. In the summer, we saw older kids mentoring younger kids in the circus, acting as great role models to look up to. At Winter Faire, we were served chili by 8th graders who were carrying on light hearted conversations with us as they doled out toppings. Whenever we’re at school we see kids hugging their teachers, and middle schoolers waiting for their friends to catch up so they can walk to school together.

Students at Summerfield are getting the social connection that feeds their hearts. They are being nourished with everything they get at the school: the warmth, the eye contact and handshake; singing and playing instruments in harmony, moving together in eurythmy and sports; expressing through art and handwork; the daily rhythms, rituals and routines; the chores and the sense of contributing to the whole; the festivals, plays and concerts, where the greater community gathers together. We stand in full support of our administration and faculty and the media policy, and are so grateful for it. What we have here at Summerfield is a rare jewel — let’s keep it that way!”

 

We Came For The No Screen Policy- Dr. Jane PSY.D., G2 Parent

When our son had his initial three-day visit at Summerfield last year, [then-Grade 1 Teacher] Ms.Pothof shared the no-screen policy with electrifying resoluteness: for first graders, there will be no TV, movies, video games, or shows—not even anything educational. She expressed the importance of children experiencing the world firsthand, through their senses and with their imagination. Hearing this, we were both relieved and excited; we knew this was best for our child and our family. We looked forward to entering a community in which this commitment was shared and practiced together. And yet, this policy clashed dramatically with our actual daily rhythms at the time, which included heavy use of the iPad as both a babysitter and bribery tool.

Back then, living in a rural area, we “homeschooled,” which meant our child watched shows when my husband’s and my work schedules overlapped. Or when we wanted a break. We watched shows together as a family every night, too. Covid and the isolation of rural living chipped away at what was once a screen-free home, and we had become regular viewers of many things. By day as a psychologist and coach, my husband and I saw the devastation that heavy screen use put on our clients: the massive increases in depression and anxiety, the crushing loneliness that came with being bent over a device in hopes of finding meaning or connection. We saw our nieces and nephews flatten and fade away into scrolling, with vague aspirations about becoming influencers. Everywhere we looked, we saw the carnage made from repeated consumption of so much seemingly irresistible content. In our own family, with so much situationally-induced screen time, we were very unhappy. We were tired of the inevitable fighting and tension that came with any limit we put on using a device. We didn’t have enough community, but we did have an endless buffet of edutainment that effortlessly appeared before us on the screen. The screens prevailed, and in hindsight, we were miserable.

We really wanted to be part of a community that prioritized real world engagement, as we knew we couldn’t do it alone. It wouldn’t work to be the one weird family that single handedly avoided the allure of screens. We needed a village that would also put their phones down, turn their TVs off, and collectively embrace relating with ourselves and each other in real time and space. Summerfield’s policy and Ms. Pothof’s clarity was a deep gift to our family. In this past year, our vitality has not only returned but grown, with each of us benefitting from the dramatic changes we made to our relationships with devices. Instead of failing alone in our desire to turn away from screens, we are grateful for the opportunity to be part of a culture that doesn’t need them.

Related articles:

More Green Time, Less Screen Time

The Importance of Play-Based Learning

Summerfield Waldorf Media & Smart Device Policies and Recommendations