Phone-free classrooms: What happens when devices disappear episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 7, 2026 · 17 MIN

Phone-free classrooms: What happens when devices disappear

from Opportunity Gap: For Families Navigating Special Education · host Understood.org

It seems like everyone has a phone in their hand these days, and kids are no exception. But increasingly, schools are starting to limit phones — or even ban them. What does that mean for students, teachers, and families? In this episode, Julian chats with Dr. Julie Mayring, middle school director and psychologist at Bay Ridge Prep in Brooklyn, about her school’s nine-year phone ban. They discuss how it affects focus, mental health, friendships, and parent communication.Dr. Mayring also shares tips on handling pushback, keeping kids safe, and making sure technology helps learning instead of getting in the way of it.For more on this topic: Read: Accessibility and assistive technology for kidsRead: Signs your child is ready for a cell phoneDownload: Cell phone “contract” for kidsFor a transcript and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected]. Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 7, 2026

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Everyone has a phone in their hand these days, and kids are no exception. But increasingly, schools are starting to limit phones — or even ban them. What does that mean for students, teachers, and families? In this episode, Julian chats with Dr. Julie Mayring, middle school director and psychologist at Bay Ridge Prep in Brooklyn, about her school’s nine-year phone ban. They discuss how it affects focus, mental health, friendships, and parent communication. Dr. Mayring also shares tips on handling pushback, keeping kids safe, and making sure technology helps learning instead of getting in the way of it.

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Phone-free classrooms: What happens when devices disappear

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