“It’s like a flatline” has been a commonly used phrase to describe the new school bell. What originally was a tune of musical chimes has turned into a flat, monotone noise. For some, this can create associations with hospital monitors and medical emergencies, causing a sense of panic or unease. The need for a new bell is not just because it is irritating, but instead a source of anxiety and discomfort, undermining the ability to feel safe and comfortable on campus.
Students, teachers and faculty have voiced their opinions on the new bell to Principal Dr. Barnaby Payne and their feedback paves the way for positive change. By continuing this conversation, Redwood can create a bell system that benefits students’ well-being and allows for the day to be kept on a precise schedule.
“People have said that it sounds like a hospital machine,” Payne said.
Payne also addressed how Redwood’s Public Address (PA) system, which includes the bell system, was upgraded over the summer. The change introduced the new monotone noise that blares throughout passing periods.
“What’s most obvious to students is that the chime changed, but our whole system was replaced and updated for a more modern system,” Payne said.
Although this may not seem like a pressing issue, studies have shown that noise can have harmful effects on students. Stephanie Dutchen, the Editorial Director of the Harvard Medical School, published an article in the spring of 2022 detailing how some noises can cause health issues in areas such as sleep, focus and heart health, with cardiovascular disease being heavily associated with unwanted and excessive noise. This can affect a myriad of issues, as detailed in the article. “[Researchers have] shown that noise pollution not only drives hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypersensitivity to sound, but can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular disease; type 2 diabetes; sleep disturbances; stress; mental health and cognition problems, including memory impairment and attention deficits; childhood learning delays; and low birth weight.” Dutchen said. “Scientists are investigating other possible links, including to dementia,” highlighting how noise can be a long-term issue and threaten students’ health and well-being.
A 2016 study conducted by researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany found that people with high noise sensitivity are more than twice as likely to experience severe anxiety, while depression is about twice as common when hearing a triggering sound. Studies show that these concerns aren’t just exaggerations. A 2016 study conducted by researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany found that people with high noise sensitivity are more than twice as likely to experience severe anxiety, while depression is about twice as common when hearing a triggering sound. Subjecting students to the disturbing noise that the bell brings could similarly put students’ mental health at risk.
Beyond that, the unsettling tone of the bell is widely considered irritating, raising troubling concerns for students’ health. A review conducted in 2024 examined 14 studies of the effect classroom noise has on high school students. Researchers found that high noise levels caused students’ learning and listening skills to falter. Additionally, they found that non-native English language speakers and students with special needs had heightened issues with the noise. With the irritating noise level that the school bell brings, these educational skills could easily falter in students, adding yet another level of concern to the current school bell.
Of course, not everyone agrees that the bell is a problem. Some argue that the sharp, monotone sound serves a useful purpose on such a noisy, bustling and lively campus. Some believe that the bell ensures that everyone is on time for class and that students can easily adapt to the noise over time. While this could be true, it ignores the fact that even if students could adapt to the noise, there is a potential for damaging mental and physical health in the process.
The bell is harmful to students and it must be changed to ensure that additional stress is not added to students’ lives. Making changes to the tone of the bell would guarantee a more harmonious school climate to benefit the health of everyone on campus.
