Should schools ban cell phones? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 25, 2025 · 11 MIN

Should schools ban cell phones?

from Lake Effect Spotlight · host WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR

This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of Facebook. While this generation of students grew up online, they’re increasingly heading into schools looking to ban cell phones. At least 19 states have banned phones outright in schools, and sixteen more states are considering it – including Wisconsin. But setting boundaries for kids on technology and social media can be tricky. Enter Devorah Heitner. She’s the author of the book “Growing Up in Public,” which guides parents on how to handle social media’s impacts on childrens’ mental health, geo-tracking, and awkward conversations.   Heitner joins WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal to talk about how to navigate a world of technology that feels like it’s changed in the blink of an eye.  

This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of Facebook. While this generation of students grew up online, they’re increasingly heading into schools looking to ban cell phones. At least 19 states have banned phones outright in schools, and sixteen more states are considering it – including Wisconsin.  But setting boundaries for kids on technology and social media can be tricky. Enter Devorah Heitner. She’s the author of the book “Growing Up in Public,” which guides parents on how to handle social media’s impacts on childrens’ mental health, geo-tracking, and awkward conversations.    Heitner joins WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal to talk about how to navigate a world of technology that feels like it’s changed in the blink of an eye.

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Should schools ban cell phones?

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This episode is 11 minutes long.

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This episode was published on August 25, 2025.

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This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of Facebook. While this generation of students grew up online, they’re increasingly heading...

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