Why we should keep phones out of schools: Solving a collective trap

Issue 115: Why people hate social media, but can't stop using it.

When I give a talk to a large audience, one of the first things I often ask them to do is put their smartphones away. I tell them we face more distractions than any humans in history—we are constantly bombarded by a constant string of beeps, buzzes, notifications, and a bad habit of reaching for our phone every three minutes.

I’m not normally prone to such sweeping statements, I prefer to understand modern challenges and social problems through a much larger cultural and evolutionary lens. But I feel like I stand I solid ground on this one. Check your phone right now and see how many times you’ve picked it up this week (click settings/screen time/see all app & website activity on an iPhone).

I average 101 pick ups per day (with a peak of 130 on Sunday, when I should have been paying more attention to my family). This is particularly problematic for someone whose livelihood hinges on thinking deeply about topics. I often feel like Sugriva, the poor chimpanzee in this video, scrolling min…