We’ve done enormous damage to kids with smartphones — we must ban them in schools

America’s children are hurting. Behind in school after pandemic closures, many children are now struggling with another major barrier to learning — smartphone addiction. Two-thirds of Americans students say they are distracted by their digital devices during class.

There’s also a second-hand smoke effect: More than half of students are distracted by the devices of other students, according to a 2022 Program for International Student Assessment study. It’s a complex problem. But one solution is embarrassingly simple — ban phones in America’s classrooms. 

As a society, we don’t allow alcohol or drugs in schools. Why should we allow highly-addictive phones to be used in the same setting?