Welcome to Science & Tech Brief. Today, we ask: do smartphone bans in schools improve mental health? Last year, a study of English secondary schools showed that banning phones during school hours led to a 14-percent drop in reported depression symptoms and a 13-percent fall in anxiety among students. As one student put it, “I actually talk to people again instead of scrolling.” Critics worry that bans restrict parents’ ability to reach children in emergencies. Some schools, though, have installed secure lockers where phones stay locked until the end of the day. Policymakers are taking note: the UK’s education secretary is considering a national prohibition in classrooms. But experts caution that “we shouldn’t treat smartphones as the root of all evil.” They argue that teaching young people to manage screen time responsibly may be as important as outright prohibition. The debate continues: how to balance digital immersion with mental wellbeing? That’s it for today’s Science & Tech Brief.
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