“I don't have an entirely summative sense of the coverage,” writes Stanford professor Thomas Dee in an email response to my query about the media response to the school cellphone ban research he co-authored. “But, even before the study came out—and having observed the mercurial faddishness in education-policy discourse for some time—I was concerned that some would jump to the conclusion that phone bans aren't a good idea.

“I think that would be a mistake and that we have more to learn. Yes, these early results are sobering. But we do know that effective phone bans get kids off their phones. And recapturing students' attention in schools must be an antecedent to realizing their academic potential.

“I think we should continue to adopt, implement, and evaluate different ways of managing phones (and other digital devices) in schools. But we should also continue to ask about the other features of powerful learning environments should be, but aren't consistently, in place (e.g., highly effective teachers using validated curricula and evidence-based pedagogy).”

The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches