Why Schools Are Racing to Ban Student Phones
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/technology/school-phone-bans-indiana-louisiana.html
https://archive.ph/KSXxg
(Paywall free)
There are good and bad ways to use a phone. It’s not comparable to things like cigarettes.
True, but there is good and bad ways to use media (educational content done well vs cheap Chinese children’s TV) and we do have age ratings there.
You’re right that cigarettes are universally bad (smokers would argue not, of course, and probably highlight social moments, pauses to reflect etc) but much of my list has good and bad sides. I’m perfectly open to removing cigarettes from the list, but it doesn’t change the validity of the other areas where we regulate minors’ usage.
I’d argue that gambling doesn’t really have good sides and alcohol is ambivalent at best. We could compare it to other media like TV, that’s perfectly ok. But when it comes to restrictions concerning other media, they are not as strict and act mostly like guidelines for parents.
