As a parent of two teenage boys and an 8-year-old, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply mobile phones have embedded themselves into our kids’ lives. The constant scroll, the dopamine hits, the social comparisons—it’s a lot for developing minds. That’s why I’ve been following with interest the growing movement in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark to ban phones in schools. At first glance, it might seem harsh. But after attending a recent book event with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, I’ve come to believe this might be exactly the kind of reset our kids need.
Haidt’s research is compelling and urgent. In The Anxious Generation, he explores how the rapid shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood—starting around 2010—coincided with dramatic spikes in adolescent mental health issues, particularly anxiety, depression, and self-harm. He draws on a wide range of data to show how smartphones and algorithm-driven social media have rewired kids’ social development, disrupted sleep, and made them more isolated and fragile. What struck me most was his distinction between the “play-based” childhood that dominated for generations—filled with unsupervised play, in-person interaction, and real-world learning—and today’s “phone-based” childhood, where kids spend hours alone, scrolling and comparing themselves to curated versions of others.
One of Haidt’s boldest recommendations is for schools to become phone-free zones. He argues that schools should be places where kids are fully present, socially engaged, and emotionally safe—none of which is possible when their attention is constantly hijacked by devices. He also encourages delaying access to social media until at least age 16, giving kids more time to develop resilience and self-worth offline before entering the pressure cooker of online life.
As a co-founder of The Happy Broadcast, I’ve always believed in spotlighting solutions. This is one that gives me hope. Imagine classrooms where kids are fully present, lunch breaks filled with laughter and conversation, not screens. Maybe we’re starting to remember that what kids need most isn’t more connection online—it’s more connection in real life.
