Like many parents, I’ve been cautious about giving my children access to phones. I’ve warned them about the mental health perils of social media, digital addiction, about becoming “zombies” lost in screens. But I hadn’t acknowledged the contradiction: I was constantly on my own phone. I’d scroll while eating meals, cooking dinner, waiting in the carpool line, even while watching a movie with my kids. My 10-year-old daughter had noticed. And her question — “How come you get to be on your phone all the time, but I’m the one being told it’s bad and I should pay attention?” — was fair. If I wanted her to build healthy habits, I had to start with myself. So I did. I began limiting my own screen time, not just for her sake, but for mine. This fall, as students return to classrooms, educators — and parents — will grapple with the same question: How much cellphone time is too much? In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, lawmakers are also responding to growing concerns about how smartphones are affecting children’s learning, mental health, and relationships. Thirty-one states have limited or banned student cellphone use in schools or are planning to. Lawmakers aren’t alone in their concern. Educators are increasingly frustrated with students being distracted by their cellphones while in class. A recent Pew poll found that 74% of adults support cellphone bans during class in middle and high schools. As students continue to struggle academically since the pandemic, researchers have pointed to…
