US Markets
Home›US Markets›Sectors›No-phone shifts are reshaping teen work at summer jobs
No-phone shifts are reshaping teen work at summer jobs
Morey's Piers hires about 500 teens each summer, and staff must store phones in assigned lockers during shifts that can last six to seven hours.
Schools and some teen employers are tightening rules around phone use during work and class, with one example coming from Morey's Piers, which runs Ocean Oasis Water Park and other amusements on the Wildwood Boardwalk.
CNBC Markets reports that Ocean Oasis Water Park keeps a strict no-phone policy during shifts, where employees store devices in assigned lockers for safety reasons. Ronin Segrest, 17, who started a lifeguard path at the park in summer 2025, described the change as an adjustment, saying he had to get used to not checking who was texting him or what he might be missing.
The article ties the push to concerns about heavy screen time, citing CDC polling that half of teenagers ages 12 to 17 spend four hours or more on screens each day. It also notes that teens with higher outside-of-school screen time are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to the CDC.
Morey's Piers chief administrative officer Denise Beckson said the company hires around 500 teens ages 14 to 19 each summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Beckson added that the phone ban helps for practical safety at the park, including for workers handling equipment and for lifeguards monitoring water slides and pools.