New UN Report calls for school to pull the plug on smartphones

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Here we go again…

We could see a THIRD Trump indictment this week. This is related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal probe into the former president’s conduct around the 2020 election and potential crimes around efforts to reverse the result.

Stay tuned to the Mo News Instagram feed and this newsletter for developments on that front. See everyone tonight at 9pmET on Instagram for our weekly Q/A.

Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney

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🗞 THE AGE OF DISTRACTION

Gone are the days when technology was encouraged to turbocharge education. A new report from the UN is calling for smartphones to be banned from schools, warning the devices are dividing students’ attention and reducing their ability to retain information.

ARE SMARTPHONES MAKING THE KIDS… NOT SMART?
The report, published by UNESCO (the UN’s Education, Science, and Culture Agency), points to evidence of a “negative link” between excessive cellphone use and kids’ performance in school. It found high screen time from smartphones, tablets, or laptops — both in the classroom and at home — is an immense distraction that poses a detrimental impact to learning.

One of the most shocking findings: The report says there is little research to demonstrate how digital technology has added value to education.

❝
“Not all change constitutes progress. Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.”
UNESCO Report

“BRAIN DRAIN”
Smartphones have put the world at our fingertips — but having it attached to our hip comes with a cost. University of Chicago researchers have found that the mere presence of a mobile phone reduces cognitive capacity, because of the time spent actively trying to avoid the temptation to constantly check it. They dubbed it the “brain drain.”

THE RISE OF CYBERBULLYING
Distraction is not the only problem. A smartphone ban in schools can have an enormous impact in reducing cyberbullying too. Research from December found nearly half of U.S. teens said they’ve been bullied or harassed online. The UNESCO report says policies limiting technology in education can help reduce these numbers.

NATION’S REPORT CARD
It all comes at a time when our kids still haven’t caught are falling behind in school at drastic rates post-pandemic. A troubling report out last month found the average student is now 4.1 months behind in reading, and 4.5 months behind in math.

TECH’S INFLUENCE ON TEENS
Kids’ emotional well-being is also a cause of concern. Since the rise of social media, feelings of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness have skyrocketed among teens.

📌 Look how they spike after 2010 with the rise of smartphones and social media: (more here)

THE RECOMMENDATION
As learning migrates more online, especially since the pandemic, UNESCO says banning smartphones will serve a strong reminder that technology should always be secondary to a “human-centered” version of education, and should never replace face-to-face interaction with teachers.

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW
A growing desire to disconnect has more of us dusting off our flip phones. Some members of the Mo News community, who wrote into the Instagram account, suggested flip phones as an alternative to smartphones in school, so that kids still have way to get in contact with their parents for emergencies, but weren’t tempted by distractions. Another option: a smartwatch.

*Going OG with cellphones for your kids.*

📝 WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
We mentioned this story on Friday’s podcast and were inundated with responses. Here’s what some of the teachers who wrote to Mo News on Instagram are saying:

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“…phones are the WORST! Not only do they impact the students academic success because they are a constant distraction, they make classroom management a nightmare. My job should not be the cell phone police. But the worst part of having phones is how negatively it impacts their mental health. It is so sad to walk outside during lunch and see kids sitting alone while glued to their phones. They don't talk to anyone, don't try and make friends, just have their headphones in and bury themselves in their devices. The number one indicator of a healthy person is their relationships. Kids aren't making the friendships they need to have a strong mental health and it's devastating. No wonder anxiety and depression are so high!!!”
High school teacher in Phoenix, AZ
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“We've had teachers take away phones and parents will come to the school during THAT SAME CLASS PERIOD to complain and ask that their child get their phone back.”
High school teacher in Oregon

And here are some messages from parents:

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“As a parent of younger kids (my oldest is starting 4th grade) the pressure to get a cell phone be so many kids have them is rough. As much as I'd like him to have one for safety it's also a risk to have one. It's such a hard balance. We plan to do our best to hold our until 8th grade.”
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“Another problem as a parent, is several of my kids teachers in middle and high school expect them to use phones for gimkit, cahoot, and quizlet in class. It's hard as a parent to say no when your kid can't participate in class games and activities.”

✔︎Mo News Reality Check: UNESCO says other countries are already “waking up to the importance of putting learners first” when it came to digital technology. Based on its analysis of 200 education systems around the world, it estimated one in four countries had banned smartphones in school.

These included France, which introduced its policy in 2018, and the Netherlands, which will bring in restrictions from 2024.

China has also set boundaries for the use of digital devices as teaching tools, limiting them to 30% of all teaching time, with students expected to take regular screen breaks.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨 NATION

📌 Mystery Lab: CDC finds coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis and herpes at unlicensed California lab connected to China (NBC)

📌 Doctors increasingly discourage vaping amid mounting health concerns (ABC)

📌 Could DeSantis be the 2024 version of the ‘Comeback Kid?’ (NPR)

📌 White House rolls out measures aimed at lowering cost of housing (AP)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

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📌 The French embassy in Niger is attacked as protesters waving Russian flags march through the capital (ABC)

📌 A Saturday night drone attack on Moscow injures 1 and temporarily closes an airport, Russia blames Ukraine (REUTERS)

💵 BUSINESS & TECH

📌 Facebook removed content related to Covid-19 in response to pressure from the Biden administration, including posts claiming the virus was man-made (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

📌 Rent the Runway CEO started her company as a Harvard student — now it’s worth $120 million (CNBC)

📌 How Barnes & Noble is reinventing itself (THE VERGE)

📌 Stigmas around body weight infiltrate work (AXIOS)

🎥 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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📌 Charted: Humans vs. Sharks (AXIOS)

📌 Kanye back on Twitter/X after promising to stop posting antisemitic content (VARIETY)

📌 A meteor shower today may produce fireballs that outshine the moon (CNN)

📌 Cardi B hurls microphone back at fan who threw a drink at her while performing in Las Vegas (PEOPLE)

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🗓 ON THIS DAY: JULY 31

1777: 19-year-old French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette accepts a commission as a major-general in the Continental Army under George Washington.

1948: President Harry Truman dedicated Idlewild Airport as New York International Airport (it is rededicated as John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963)
1971: Apollo 15 astronauts James Irwin and David Scott used the four-wheeled battery-powered Lunar Roving Vehicle for the first time to extensively explore the Moon's surface.
1989: The Nintendo Gameboy is released.
1999: Christina Aguilera’s ‘Genie in a Bottle’ reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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