Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls the 91裸聊视频済radual apathy pandemic91裸聊视频� 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, it91裸聊视频檚 as if students 91裸聊视频渏ust care less and less about what people think, but also ,91裸聊视频� 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 they91裸聊视频檙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 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� on social media.

91裸聊视频淭o get students engaged now, you have to be very, very creative,91裸聊视频� 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 Nguyen91裸聊视频檚 school, students lock their phones in neoprene pouches during classes or even all day. A teacher or principal91裸聊视频檚 magnetic key unlocks the pouches.

It doesn91裸聊视频檛 matter how dynamic the lesson, said Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now markets the pouches to other schools. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 nothing that can compete with the cell phone.91裸聊视频�

Do something (else)

Some schools are locking up smartwatches and wireless headphones, too. But the pouches don91裸聊视频檛 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, 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� in real life 91裸聊视频� aims to give every student something to look forward to after the school-day grind, whether it91裸聊视频檚 a sport, performing arts or a club.

91裸聊视频淚solating in your home every day after school for hours on end on a personal device has become normalized,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淔rom 3 to 5:30 you are in a club, you91裸聊视频檙e in a sport, you91裸聊视频檙e at an activity,91裸聊视频� 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 won91裸聊视频檛 work for everyone. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 definitely still some people who just want to be alone, listen to their music, do their own thing, or, like, be on their phone,91裸聊视频� 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. 91裸聊视频淚t forces everyone, even if they don91裸聊视频檛 want to get involved, to have to try something, and maybe that clicks,91裸聊视频� 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.

It91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频淟ife Happens Outside91裸聊视频� 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 Dedham91裸聊视频檚 students camped, incentivized by a pizza party. Several students told Pearson they camped out again after the challenge.

91裸聊视频淲hether they had phones with them or not, they91裸聊视频檙e building fires, they91裸聊视频檙e putting up their tents,91裸聊视频� Pearson said. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e doing things outside that obviously are not on social media or texting.91裸聊视频�

Plea to parents

Parents must also make changes to their family91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淪tudents are so tied to their families,91裸聊视频� said Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School, near Columbus. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 this anxiety of not being able to contact them, rather than appreciating the freedom of being alone for eight hours or with your friends.91裸聊视频�

Fight fears of being 91裸聊视频榗anceled91裸聊视频�

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.

Taylor91裸聊视频檚 high school English students tell him they don91裸聊视频檛 talk in class because they don91裸聊视频檛 want to be 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� a term applied to public figures who are silenced or boycotted after offensive opinions or speech.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 like, 91裸聊视频榃ell, who91裸聊视频檚 canceling you? And why would you be canceled? We91裸聊视频檙e talking about `The Great Gatsby,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� not some controversial political topic, he said.

Students 91裸聊视频済et very, very quiet91裸聊视频� when topics such as sexuality, gender or politics come up in novels, said Higgins, the Massachusetts English teacher. 91裸聊视频淓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.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚 can see who they are when they91裸聊视频檙e responding to questions and things, but other students can91裸聊视频檛 see,91裸聊视频� Higgins said. 91裸聊视频淭hat can be very, very powerful.91裸聊视频�

Alarmed at her peers91裸聊视频� disengagement, Isabella, Higgins91裸聊视频� student, wrote an opinion piece in her school91裸聊视频檚 newspaper.

91裸聊视频淧reventing future generations from joining this same downward cycle is up to us,91裸聊视频� she wrote.

A comment on the post highlighted the challenge, and what91裸聊视频檚 at stake.

91裸聊视频淎ll in all,91裸聊视频� the commenter wrote, 91裸聊视频渨hy should we care?91裸聊视频�