School smartphone bans do not improve youth mental health, early data suggests

A new study looked at the first US states to ban smartphones in schools. It found no clear evidence that these bans reduced screen time or improved students' mental health.

Many people believe that social media access on smartphones is harming young people's mental health. School bans are a common policy response. This early data suggests that simply removing phones from schools might not be enough to fix the problem. It means policymakers might need to look at other solutions.