How Does Your Kids / Youth Ministry Deal With Phones?

Phones and screens are a daily reality for children and teens, and that reality shows up in our churches, too. From group texts and social media to music, games, and endless notifications, screens shape how young people connect, focus, and rest. 

I remember my own high school youth ministry days not that long ago. Our youth pastor used a "phone bucket," into which we all had to put our phones. I will say it seemed a little disingenuine, since our youth pastor kept his phone on him the whole time, but it was an effective way to help guide our attention, both towards each other and towards God.

So, here's my question to you: On a practical level, how does your youth ministry deal with phones? Do you let students keep their phones on them or not? How do you engage with the topic of screens and social media in the context of your youth ministry? What (if anything) would you change about what you've been doing?

More broadly, how do we all create spaces where we can be truly present with one another? How do we help kids and teens build healthy habits without shame or rigid rules? And how do we model faithful, intentional use of technology ourselves?

I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and experiences in the comments below!