Holy Rosary School for Girls began the year with a successful ‘phone-free’ campaign to combat digital addiction. Keeping the momentum going, they followed this challenge with another time-warping mission: giving their students old-school phones to live like it’s 1999!
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 October 2024) — It’s hardly surprising anymore to see a tiny tot—barely capable of stringing together a coherent sentence—glued to a smartphone or iPad. It’s a reflection of the world we live in today, one filled with relentless and seemingly unapologetic digital addictions. From toddlers to school students and many, many adults, digital addiction is both the most obvious addiction and the most overlooked. But is anyone doing anything about it? And what can actually be done?
Digital Detox Challenge
Holy Rosary School for Girls has been on a mission in 2024 to combat digital addiction in a hands-on fashion. Beginning the year with their successful ‘Phone-Free 40 Days Campaign’, the school knew that even if the results from that effort were positive (and they were), they needed to keep the momentum going.
In another bold move to combat digital addiction, delay smartphone ownership and build healthier mental health habits, the school decided on another challenge—80-Days: Phone like its 1999 Smartphone-Free Challenge!
Phone Like It’s 1999
Beginning in May, primary and high school students, as well as staff members, surrendered their smartphones to the school. In exchange, they received ‘feature phones’ (AKA, old school phones) to take them back in time to the 90s, when cell phones were primarily used for, well, phone calls!
Because the devices have limited functionality (calls, SMSes and maybe a few extremely basic games), they directly combat accessing social media—the biggest fueler of digital addiction. At the same time, they still allow for communication with parents and family members.
The challenge was driven by Principal Natalie Meerholz, who shared that the second challenge yielded positive results.
“We are exceptionally proud of everyone who took part in our second challenge. 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.”
Nearly 89% of participants completed the challenge in full.
The Positives
Both challenges have been part of a bigger mission for the school, which is dubbed The Smart Age for Smartphone initiative.
Principal Meerholz also participated in the challenge. “Navigating my own digital detox journey as an adult has proven challenging but I feel more focused, less distracted, and have tried out a range of new activities.”
For the kids, the benefits were similar. Some reported much better sleep, feeling less distracted and feeling more present.
A big win for everyone who participated was the sensation of feeling as though they had more free time. This helped prop up the other legs of the challenge, which included community service. Several fundraising events were integrated into the challenge, including a massive crocheting charity event that drew over 6,000 attendees and raised R60,000 to contribute to paediatric cardiac surgery.
Becoming a Movement
Other educational institutions have also started drawing inspiration from the initiatives in a bid to seek guidance on implementing similar campaigns of their own.
“Our ‘Phone-Free 40 Days’ and ’80 Days: Phone Like It’s 1999’ challenges are more than just school initiatives—they’re catalysts for a broader movement,” Principal Meerholz says.
Principal Meerholz deems it “a collective awakening,” adding that the link to the deteriorating mental and physical well-being of today’s young people has become irrefutable.
“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.”
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