Post Reports This school banned phones. Remarkable things happened.
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Dec 26, 2025 
In this discussion, psychologist Jean Twenge, author of "10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World," explores the dramatic changes observed at Ballard High School after implementing a phone ban. She reveals that students are now more engaged, with library book checkouts soaring by 67%. Twenge addresses the mental health impacts of smartphones, including increased loneliness and disrupted sleep. She offers practical parenting advice, advocating for delaying smartphone access until driving age and banning phones at night for better sleep quality.
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Phone Ban Transformed School Life
- Ballard High principal Jason Noose described a bell-to-bell phone ban that immediately changed student behavior.
- He reported louder lunches, more conversation, and a 65–70% rise in library checkouts.
Students Show Phone Separation Anxiety
- Student Callie Vickers said many classmates resisted the ban and showed phone separation anxiety.
- She noted more in-class hyperactivity because students used phones for emotional regulation pre-ban.
Social Media Likely Fuels Teen Depression
- Jean Twenge links the rise in teen loneliness and depression from about 2012 to smartphone and social media adoption.
- Experimental studies that reduce social media use show improved mood after a few weeks, suggesting causation.