"One of the biggest pain points for schools is the matter of cell phones: a device where AI, the web, communication, entertainment, and more collide in a way that can distract students from learning. Whereas some campuses confiscate phones or police their use, others are finding alternatives. I had the pleasure of interviewing two experts in the field about such alternatives: Shannon Godfrey and Julia Gustafson are co-founders of The Commons, software that helps schools foster distraction-free learning environments and reflects Gustafson's public health expertise."
"What many schools overlook is that phone use is not simply a discipline problem; it's a neurocognitive one. According to a study in Translational Psychiatry, individuals with problematic smartphone use demonstrate impaired attentional control, linked to disruptions in the brain's frontoparietal network, which governs attention and self-regulation (Choi et al., 2021). This means that even when phones are banned, students often struggle to comply, not because they do"
Rapid technological change forces educators to prepare students for future jobs while preserving foundational skills. Cell phones combine AI, web access, communication, and entertainment in a single device that can distract students during class. Schools respond with confiscation, policing, or by seeking alternatives that reduce distraction. The Commons is software designed to help schools create distraction-free learning environments. Despite bans, students still use phones 1.5–2 hours per school day, roughly one month of lost instruction annually. Problematic smartphone use impairs attentional control via frontoparietal network disruptions, so bans alone often do not ensure compliance.
Read at Psychology Today
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