Phone-free schools and childhood device limits

Implementing phone-free policies during school hours can reduce the negative impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents and enhance their...

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Parents of teenagers.

Sourced from the doctors, PhDs and clinicians behind Entrain. Updated

The strongest voice

“Implementing phone-free policies during school hours can reduce the negative impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents and enhance their learning by promoting in-person connection and focus on real life.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

In their own words

One faithful sentence per source, linked to the moment it was said; quiet chips mark where money is involved.

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license recommend
“Parents are the only ones who can stop the negative impact of social media on their children because the companies will not stop due to financial incentives.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · Instagram

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There recommend
“She calls for regulation of social media for kids under the age of 16 to protect their mental health.”

a psychoanalyst and author of Being There · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Implementing phone-free policies during school hours can reduce the negative impact of smartphones and social media on adolescents and enhance their learning by promoting in-person connection and focus on real life.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Delaying smartphones and social media use is part of the #fournorms proposed to protect kids' health and reduce negative mental health impacts.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Enforcing phone-free schools is recommended to provide healthier environments for kids' mental health and reduce distractions.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Delaying smartphone and social media use is achievable when parents in a friend group band together to resist social pressure and add healthy activities back in.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Schools should be phone-free from first to last bell to reduce internet drama, improve focus, and enhance socialization among students.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Putting the onus on teachers to police phones is ineffective and adds to their already high burden.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“If phones are available during breaks, students think about internet drama during class and socialize less, often ignoring each other due to phubbing.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Dumb phones are acceptable as they are less addictive and allow communication with parents.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Parents cannot be expected to teach children responsible smartphone use because the addictive design of social media platforms overwhelms the still-developing brain, similar to expecting teenagers to drink alcohol responsibly.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Implementing bell-to-bell phone-free school policies leads to kids happily engaging with each other without phone distractions.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Phone-free schools are recommended to support healthier childhood development and reduce phone dependency.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Parents should agree to delay smartphones until age 14 to protect children from the harms of smartphone addiction and social exclusion.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Implementing phone-free schools can help reduce smartphone addiction and promote healthier social interactions among students.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Leaving your phone in another room or leaving the house without it is a fantastic way to lessen the powerful dopamine pull a smartphone creates, especially in teens and preteens.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Physical separation from the phone reduces dopamine-driven attachment and addiction, enabling longer focus and flow states.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Schools should implement phone-free policies to prevent distractions and inappropriate phone use during class time.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Having one or two extra cell phones kept only on the first floor of the house allows children to stay connected when necessary without having personal smartphones, promoting communal living and limiting distractions.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Banning phones during the instructional day leads to students taking notes, completing assignments, asking for help, and engaging in conversation, showing clear educational benefits.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Studies show when phones are on or near a person, they are a distraction, decrease test results, interfere with social development, and lead to attention fragmentation, so schools should implement phone-free policies for the entire school day.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Phone-free school policies provide students 6-7 hours free from internet drama, giving their dopamine systems a break and grounding them in real life, which improves focus and socialization.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Implementing phone-free schools can help reduce the negative impacts of smartphone use on children's attention and social skills.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“The four norms recommend no smartphone until age 14 and no social media before age 16 to protect kids' mental health and freedom.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Phone-free schools are encouraged to reduce social media's negative impact on kids' social and emotional well-being.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Implementing phone-free schools is part of collective action to reverse harmful effects of smartphone and social media use on youth.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Phone-based childhoods have caused declines in test scores and IQ worldwide, reversing decades of educational progress.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Limiting phone use, including phone-free days and raising social media age limits, is an effective response to mitigate harm.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · Instagram

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license against
“Constant cell phone use by one spouse leads to neglect and emotional distance, damaging the marriage and causing feelings of loneliness and hurt in the other spouse.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license recommend
“Turning off the cell phone when arriving home and spending focused time with spouse and children can improve availability and connection in the family.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a mental health counselor and author conditional
“Disconnecting from digital conveniences like phone tracking and Amazon Prime can increase calmness and reduce perceived needs, though it involves short-term inconvenience and effort.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Parents should be on the alert and go through their kids' smartphones because it gives the world access to their kids, not the other way around.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“The only policy that has been found to get kids to pay attention and be available to teachers and peers is a truly phone-free school day where phones are kept away from bell to bell.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Policies that only restrict phone use during instruction time fail because kids remain distracted by phones before and after class and during breaks, undermining attention and social interaction.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Security experts agree that in emergencies, having children use phones to call parents causes noise and distraction, reducing safety; instead, children should listen to drills and teachers to stay safe.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Schools that implement phone-free policies see improvements in children's social connections, happiness, and liking of school, which supports better mental health.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“He advocates for no phones in schools to encourage social interaction and reduce distractions.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Phones should be banned throughout the entire school day with students storing them in lockers or envelopes to reduce distractions and anxiety.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor against
“Digital devices are fundamentally transforming family dynamics and the way we spend our time, often negatively impacting children and families.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor recommend
“Banning phones in class led to all students engaging fully with the lesson, completing assignments, and interacting socially, suggesting it is an effective solution.”

a social psychologist and NYU Stern professor · source video

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