Stanwood-Camano interim superintendent announces move toward phone-free instructional time after presentation on youth screen harms

Ryan O'Malley, interim superintendent of the Stanwood-Camano School District, told families at a community book talk that the district will move toward cell-phone–free instructional time next school year after a visiting author presented evidence linking heavy device use to rising mental-health problems among young people.

Katherine Johnson Martinko, author of Childhood Unplugged, told the audience she believes smartphones and social media have reshaped childhood into what Jonathan Haidt calls the "great rewiring," and urged parents and schools to adopt stricter limits. "I do not think kids should have smartphones before the age of 16," Martinko said, adding later that she recommends no social media before 18.

Why it matters: Martinko cited surveys and public-health data showing steep increases in screen time and in…