This is the first generation of kids to grow up entirely with smartphones in hand. Most of the time, even during school hours. Schools who have tried to ban or regulate their use have mostly failed—with a few notable exceptions. And when teachers have tried to enforce these rules on the ground in their classrooms, it can get ugly.
Just how addicted are students to their phones? What are they being used for in class? Is there a way to incorporate them into learning that doesn't enable their detrimental effects? And what do we know about the long-term impact of these devices on kids who should be focusing on their studies?
GUEST: Naomi Buck, writing in The Globe and Mail