Smartphones are under fire. Orthodox Jews have had a solution for years

Most parents share concerns about rising rates of depression, anxiety, and social disconnection among younger generations, especially how those issues intersect with increased time spent on smartphones and social media platforms. But what's the solution? Countries around the world, including Canada, are attempting various models of school cell phone bans. But evidence of their effectiveness has been mixed. Just last week, the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research released the largest study ever of school cell phone bans, looking at data from about 4,600 schools across the country. While teachers did report fewer distractions in class, researchers found only a small impact on academic achievement among students, and no measurable impact whatsoever on rates of online bullying, school attendance or student attention spans. Here in Canada, at the provincial level, Premier Wab Kinew recently announced that Manitoba will soon be the first province to ban youth from using social media and AI chatbots, with ministers in Ontario and British Columbia pledging to follow suit. On the level of individuals, some young people are finding success through imposing their own restraints—timers to lock out apps or limit access to websites—or embracing "digital minimalism", buying flip phones, MP3 players and analog cameras to limit their digital engagement. Another model may be trying to enforce restraints through social and community pressure, as in the Haredi community, where community norms around "Kosher phones" and appropriate internet access have limited many members of community’s engagement with the online world, for good and for ill. On this week’s Not in Heaven, we ask what role rabbis and Jewish community institutions have in this conversation, and what would a Jewish ethic look like that seeks to maintain the health and wellbeing of our young people—and all members—from the harms of digital life. Credits Hosts: Avi Finegold, Yedida Eisenstat, Matthew Leibl Production team: Zachary Judah Kauffman (editor), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Socalled Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not in Heaven (Not sure how? Click here )