'When smartphone bans are done right, they can make a big difference'

A group of people using their cell phones stand in a circle

Students 'should learn to appreciate the life of the mind, not just the screen'

(Image credit: Stock Photo via Getty Images)

published 26 June 2024

'Students in LA face a cellphone ban. They shouldn't be the last.'

The Washington Post editorial board

The Los Angeles Unified School District approved a cell phone ban, and "everyone needs to learn to live without," says The Washington Post editorial board. Smartphones "undoubtedly hinder students' attention to solving for x or close reading a Shakespearean sonnet," and "simply banning their use in class" can permit "surreptitious or accidental phone use." Schools have "managed to function without smartphones for centuries," so kids "should learn to appreciate the life of the mind, not just the screen."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

"I don't really believe that increases in illegal immigration cause the murder rate to decline and that decreases cause it to increase," but "given how frequently one hears these days that rising illegal immigration is causing a crime wave, it does seem worth pointing out that there's at least as much evidence for the opposite claim," says Justin Fox. "This isn't to say that illegal immigration is a good thing," but it "simply doesn't seem to influence crime rates."

Jill Biden has "returned to a role in the campaign that seems more comfortable for her," says Heather Schwedel, like "playing pickleball and bingo with seniors" and "giving speeches in favor of reproductive rights." But "not far beneath the surface of everything else that happened this month were vestiges of the 'controlled' campaign" from the first lady. They reveal a "Biden political operation with a pretty bizarre idea of a fluffy news story that might counter election-year negativity."

Given the marijuana industry's "long history of spreading misinformation and downplaying the harms associated with high-potency psychoactive THC drugs," Americans should "embrace the science and medical data as the nation faces a potential shift in policy," says Kevin Sabet. Marijuana is "highly addictive and is abused by millions of Americans," and rescheduling it to a different class is "essentially a handout to pot-profiteers and investors that will be used to produce and promote stronger, more addictive drugs."

Explore More

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.