Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the sa国际传媒済radual apathy pandemicsa国际传媒� in eighth grade. Only a handful of classmates registered for service projects she helped organize at her Massachusetts school. Even fewer actually showed up.

When she got to high school last fall, Isabella found the problem was even worse: a lackluster Spirit Week and classes where students seldom spoke.

In some ways, itsa国际传媒檚 as if students sa国际传媒渏ust care less and less about what people think, but also ,sa国际传媒� said Isabella, 14. Some teens, she said, no longer care about appearing disengaged, while others are so afraid of ridicule they keep to themselves. She blames and the lingering isolation of the post-COVID era.

Educators say their tried and true lesson plans are no longer enough to keep students engaged at a time of , shortened attention spans, and . At the crux of these challenges? Addiction to cell phones. Now, adults are trying new strategies to reverse the malaise.

are gaining traction, but many say theysa国际传媒檙e not enough. They argue for alternative stimulation: steering students outdoors or toward to fill time they might otherwise spend alone online. And students need outlets, they say, to speak about taboo topics without fear of being sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� on social media.

sa国际传媒淭o get students engaged now, you have to be very, very creative,sa国际传媒� said Wilbur Higgins, lead English teacher at Dartmouth High School, where Isabella will be a sophomore this fall.

Lock them up

Cell phone pouches, lockers and bins have grown in popularity to .

John Nguyen, a chemistry teacher in California, invented a pouch system because he was so distressed by bullying and fights on phones during class, often without adults interfering. Many teachers are afraid to confront students using phones during lessons, Nguyen said, and others have given up trying to stop it.

At Nguyensa国际传媒檚 school, students lock their phones in neoprene pouches during classes or even all day. A teacher or principalsa国际传媒檚 magnetic key unlocks the pouches.

It doesnsa国际传媒檛 matter how dynamic the lesson, said Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now markets the pouches to other schools. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 nothing that can compete with the cell phone.sa国际传媒�

Do something (else)

Some schools are locking up smartwatches and wireless headphones, too. But the pouches donsa国际传媒檛 work once the final bell rings.

So in Spokane, Washington, schools are ramping up extracurriculars to compete with phones after hours.

An initiative launching this month, sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� in real life sa国际传媒� aims to give every student something to look forward to after the school-day grind, whether itsa国际传媒檚 a sport, performing arts or a club.

sa国际传媒淚solating in your home every day after school for hours on end on a personal device has become normalized,sa国际传媒� Superintendent Adam Swinyard said.

Students can create clubs around interests like board games and knitting or partake in neighborhood basketball leagues. Teachers will help students make a plan to get involved during back-to-school conferences, the district says.

sa国际传媒淔rom 3 to 5:30 you are in a club, yousa国际传媒檙e in a sport, yousa国际传媒檙e at an activity,sa国际传媒� instead of on a phone, Swinyard said. (The district has a new ban on phones during class, but will allow them after school.)

At a time of , he also hopes the activities will be the extra push some students need to attend school. In a Gallup conducted last November, only 48% of middle or high school students said they felt motivated to go to school, and only 52% felt they did something interesting every day. The poll was funded by the Walton Family Foundation, which also supports at AP.

Vivian Mead, a rising senior in Spokane, said having more after-school activities helps but wonsa国际传媒檛 work for everyone. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 definitely still some people who just want to be alone, listen to their music, do their own thing, or, like, be on their phone,sa国际传媒� said Vivian, 17.

Her 15-year-old sister, Alexandra, said morning advisory sessions have improved participation in the drama club that keeps the sisters busy. sa国际传媒淚t forces everyone, even if they donsa国际传媒檛 want to get involved, to have to try something, and maybe that clicks,sa国际传媒� she said.

Get outside

Thirteen middle schools in Maine adopted a similar approach, bringing students outdoors for 35,000 total hours during a chosen week in May.

Itsa国际传媒檚 empowering for students to connect with each other in nature, away from screens, said Tim Pearson, a physical education and health teacher. His students at Dedham School participated in the statewide sa国际传媒淟ife Happens Outsidesa国际传媒� challenge.

Teachers adapted their lessons to be taught outdoors, and students bonded in the open air during lunch and recess. At night, about half of Dedhamsa国际传媒檚 students camped, incentivized by a pizza party. Several students told Pearson they camped out again after the challenge.

sa国际传媒淲hether they had phones with them or not, theysa国际传媒檙e building fires, theysa国际传媒檙e putting up their tents,sa国际传媒� Pearson said. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e doing things outside that obviously are not on social media or texting.sa国际传媒�

Plea to parents

Parents must also make changes to their familysa国际传媒檚 cell phone culture, some teachers say. At home, Ohio teacher Aaron Taylor bars cellular devices when his own children have friends over.

And when kids are at school, with check-in texts throughout the day, he said.

sa国际传媒淪tudents are so tied to their families,sa国际传媒� said Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School, near Columbus. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 this anxiety of not being able to contact them, rather than appreciating the freedom of being alone for eight hours or with your friends.sa国际传媒�

Fight fears of being sa国际传媒榗anceledsa国际传媒�

Some say other forces behind teen disengagement are only amplified by the cell phone. The divisive political climate often makes students unwilling to participate in class, when anything they say can rocket around the school in a messaging app.

Taylorsa国际传媒檚 high school English students tell him they donsa国际传媒檛 talk in class because they donsa国际传媒檛 want to be sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� a term applied to public figures who are silenced or boycotted after offensive opinions or speech.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 like, sa国际传媒榃ell, whosa国际传媒檚 canceling you? And why would you be canceled? Wesa国际传媒檙e talking about `The Great Gatsby,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� not some controversial political topic, he said.

Students sa国际传媒済et very, very quietsa国际传媒� when topics such as sexuality, gender or politics come up in novels, said Higgins, the Massachusetts English teacher. sa国际传媒淓ight years ago, you had hands shooting up all over the place. Nobody wants to be labeled a certain way anymore or to be ridiculed or to be called out for politics.sa国际传媒�

So Higgins uses websites such as Parlay that allow students to have online discussions anonymously. The services are expensive, but Higgins believes the class engagement is worth it.

sa国际传媒淚 can see who they are when theysa国际传媒檙e responding to questions and things, but other students cansa国际传媒檛 see,sa国际传媒� Higgins said. sa国际传媒淭hat can be very, very powerful.sa国际传媒�

Alarmed at her peerssa国际传媒� disengagement, Isabella, Higginssa国际传媒� student, wrote an opinion piece in her schoolsa国际传媒檚 newspaper.

sa国际传媒淧reventing future generations from joining this same downward cycle is up to us,sa国际传媒� she wrote.

A comment on the post highlighted the challenge, and whatsa国际传媒檚 at stake.

sa国际传媒淎ll in all,sa国际传媒� the commenter wrote, sa国际传媒渨hy should we care?sa国际传媒�