North Dakota students respond
North Dakota’s new law banning student cellphone use in public schools took effect Aug. 1. North Dakota Living turned to students to ask their thoughts on the cellphone ban.
Each year, electric cooperatives from across the country sponsor high school sophomores and juniors to participate in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. The all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., immerses students in the democratic process, teaches them about cooperatives and includes a full itinerary of monuments, museums and historic sites.
The students’ responses highlight the depth of North Dakota’s Youth Tour delegates and serve as a reminder the future looks bright.
Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative Director Kyle DeTienne served as a chaperone for this year’s trip, which included 14 students representing North Dakota electric cooperatives.
“It was an honor to accompany such bright, respectful and engaged young people,” DeTienne says. “What stood out most was the enthusiasm and maturity of the students. They represented their communities with pride and curiosity, making the experience not only educational, but truly enjoyable.”
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Instead of fearing distraction, we should be teaching digital responsibility. Because let’s face it, technology is not going anywhere. Why not prepare students for the real world with real tools they will be using? It is counterproductive and a little dramatic. Let’s use the tools students already carry to enhance, not hinder, their learning.
Annabelle Staus, Cando
2025 Youth Tour delegate
Northern Plains Electric Cooperative
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Social media is both the blessing and the scourge of my generation.
Speaking from personal experience, some of the best friendships and most meaningful experiences in my life likely wouldn't have happened without cellphones. The ease of communication my phone provides has helped me stay connected, whether by checking what everyone is up to through their social media posts or simply having a long-distance call.
But with that convenience comes serious downsides. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and civil and religious leaders have been sounding the alarm for years about the harmful impact social media has on my peers and me. From cyberbullying to body image issues, and from worsening school outcomes to increased rates of depression – you name it – cellphones and social media are at least partly to blame.
Bridger Rivinius, Streeter
2024 Youth Tour delegate
KEM Electric Cooperative
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Many students are immediately going to bring burner phones to school and try to bypass the new law completely. Students will be harder to manage, and I know plenty of students willing to protest this new law, as well.
Kailee Gussey, New England
2025 Youth Tour delegate
Slope Electric Cooperative
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Cellphones are great. We can use them to connect and network with others, entertain ourselves and, yes, I believe we can learn while using them, too.
Just as they have pros, they also have cons, especially in school settings. One tweet, Snapchat or video can so very easily be the difference between a student having a good or bad day, week or even school year. During school, things like cyberbullying can occur easily, because the keyboard to type that rude message or the camera to capture a funny moment is right at our fingertips.
I think the effect social media has on us all is so strong. We often overlook the fact that things we see and hear on social media and news broadcasts can impact our opinions and thoughts, even if they aren’t true.
Kiera Willis, Thompson
2025 Youth Tour delegate
Nodak Electric Cooperative
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I believe eliminating student access to cellphones is a good idea, but it’s about 20 years too late. Cellphones can be distracting and disrupting when it comes to our academics, but they are not the only thing distracting students in schools.
Even without cellphones at school, students will be able to have their phones – sometimes unmanaged – at home. Maybe we should shift our focus on how to handle phones in our everyday lives instead of just taking them away, preparing our students to live healthier lifestyles and coexist with future technology.
Abby Finke, Berthold
2025-26 North Dakota Youth Leadership Council delegate
2025 Youth Tour delegate
Verendrye Electric Cooperative
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Coming from a rural school where many kids drive from out of town, contact with parents is very important. Whether it be a weather-related issue or a change of plans, it is a lot more convenient for parents to be able to text their kids rather than having to call the school each time they want to relay a message.
Our school has many students who volunteer as emergency medical technicians or firefighters, and they need to have their phones available to listen to the calls when they get called out. Our town has a hard time finding these volunteers, so another concern is they will lose these volunteers if students aren’t able to access their cellphones.
Addyson Erbele, Streeter
2025 Youth Tour delegate
KEM Electric Cooperative
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APPLY FOR YOUTH TOUR
The 2026 Youth Tour essay contest will launch in October. Check your local pages (the center section of the magazine) in upcoming issues of North Dakota Living for more information.
To learn about Youth Tour, visit ndyouthtour.com.
