Teen employers are increasingly phone-free. Why that's good for workers
Teen employers are increasingly implementing no-phone policies during work shifts to improve productivity and safety. Experts suggest that these digital-free periods are beneficial for adolescent brain development and mental health.
Why it matters
This trend reflects a broader societal shift toward managing screen time and its impact on the development and well-being of younger generations.
When Ronin Segrest, 17, began working at Ocean Oasis Water Park and Beach Club in Wildwood, New Jersey, in the summer of 2025, he'd long been looking forward to becoming a lifeguard. He just didn't anticipate how hard it would be to part ways with his phone for those six-to-seven-hour shifts.
It was "an adjustment," he says. "I was definitely thinking about who was texting me or what I was missing out on."
Morey's Piers, which owns and operates Ocean Oasis Water Park along with various other amusements on the Wildwood Boardwalk, has a strict no-phone policy for its employees during the workday. And with that policy, it joins a growing list of teen employers — along with schools — drawing a hard line against phone use.
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