A Halifax-area junior high school is conducting an interesting social experiment: banning cellphones.

Administrators at Herring Cove Junior High School have taken away the devices for the next four days in an attempt to build stronger interpersonal relationships.

Teacher Jamie Quinn came up with the project for her healthy living class, but now the entire school is on board.

“We are just totally encouraging the students to take on the experiment to the fullest extent that they can,” said Quinn.

Some students are taking it seriously.

“It's a lot harder than it seems for me,” said Grade 8 student Emma Sullivan.

“I don't really care. It's just like, you try to talk to someone and they're on their phone and you have to wait two and a half seconds and it's kind of annoying,” said Grade 7 student Gracie Henneberry.

Others are keeping their phones close, saying being without them simply makes them anxious.

“I don't like that feeling because I like to know, like if something happens, I like to know that my mom can get ahold of me,” said Grade 8 student Kyle Burke.

Teachers confiscated a dozen phones on Tuesday, but only four or five Wednesday.

“I find that there's a lot less work done in class because instead of the students that are distracted instead of going onto their phones, I find that they're more coming up and bugging me,” said Grade 9 student Aidan MacIsaac.

But teachers say it's decreasing distraction in the classroom, and what started as a small experiment to encourage personal relationships has sparked discussions about some pretty big issues.

“It's an addiction, and if you are getting that feeling that's an addiction and you need to start realizing, ‘I'm addicted to my phone,’” said Quinn.

Some students say they're already noticing a difference.

“I don't use it as much at home as I did,” said Grade 8 student Josie Roscoe.

The students are journaling how they feel about the ban and the school has also conducted a survey of parents. Once it’s complete, they’re going to decide whether permanent changes should be implemented.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell.