After successfully implementing the “February Freeze” challenge last year, Atlanta Classical Academy is challenging students to stay off social media and limit their phone use in February. Students in grades 6-12 will participate in the challenge. Faculty and staff will publish their phone usage weekly in the middle school hallway. 

Aaron Schepps, upper school principal at Atlanta Classical, spoke about how the kick-off event for this year’s challenge confirmed the need for another digital cleanse.

“As part of the launch of this year's February Freeze, our student speaker, Caleb Duplain, opened by talking about the feeling of waking up from a ‘technology nap’— when you don't know how long you have been scrolling or playing video games,” Schepps said. “After Caleb's talk, I asked the kids in the crowd how many could relate to that experience and just about every student raised a hand. When we give up an unknown amount of time to a screen, we allow someone else to live our lives for us. The February Freeze is an opportunity and reminder to make our time more our own, our selves more our own, and our lives more our own.”

Students can win participation points for their grades by opting into one of the following

challenges:

1. Stay off social media for the entire month.
2. Stay off social media and choose from one of the options below:

1. Limit screen time (phone/tablet/laptop) to one hour per day.
2. Put all screens (phones/tablets/laptops) away by 8:00 p.m.

1. All of the above (no social media and screen time is limited to one hour/day before 8:00 p.m.) 

Katie Torres, who teaches in the ACA Student Services department and is a mom of two upper school students, said last year’s challenge made an unexpected impact on her entire family.

 “Limiting technology and social media was a game-changer for my high school daughter and middle school son last year,” Torres said. “However, we didn't anticipate how much our family would benefit from it. Being off technology together gave us back valuable time and attention and encouraged us all to live intentionally. It has been incredible for all six of us to reconnect, explore new interests, and strengthen our family bonds in ways we had forgotten were possible.” 

Since its founding, ACA has been a low-tech campus with a strict no-cell-phone policy. Upper school students carry physical books to class and take notes with a pencil and paper. During passing periods and lunchtime, students spend time with one another instead of on their phones.

“At Atlanta Classical, we aim to train the hearts and minds of students so they can be more virtuous and therefore more free,” Schepps said. “When we become addicted to our phones and social media platforms, we subtly give up our freedom.”