Listen to Support it, WNYC Studios.

Kids and teens are back in school and the battle over the smartphones in their

pockets is becoming more and more prominent. You may have those that assume this is

clear. We take phones out of the classroom and test scores are going to go up

and kids are going to be happier and it's all going to be solved but that isn't

necessarily the case. It's Monday September 16th and you're listening to

Science Friday.

I'm SciFi producer D Peter Schmidt.

For years, teachers and parents have lamented about the distractions

smartphones cause in and out of the classroom. Last year, the US search in... the And more than 40 US dates are suing Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, arguing that the company intentionally

manipulated their apps to addict teens and kids.

A 2021 survey showed that about three quarters of US public schools prohibit cell phones,

seven states have implemented bans, and 14 more recently introduced similar legislation.

To parents and educators, it might seem that phones and social media are bad for kids and bad for learning.

But research shows that the reality is a little more complicated.

Here's Science Friday guest host Kathleen Davis with more.

So what are the best ways to approach school phone bans? What do we know about

the psychological effects of smartphones on kids and teens and why does this

research tend to defy straightforward takeaways?

We have two guests here to help us parse these difficult questions.

Dr. Emily Weinstein is the co-director of the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard and is the author of Behind Their Screens,

what teens are facing and adults are missing.

...