For 14-year-old Ben Cohen-Wigder, accidentally losing his smartphone on the school bus last February paid off in a big way.
“I went two days without my phone and realized how long and full my days were,” Ben said.
It was so good that the eighth-grade lacrosse goalie made the primary choice to get a flip phone, giving him all the smart features — and the ability to communicate without distraction.
A growing number of experts are sounding the alarm about increased screen time and its effects on children and adolescents. In 2023 Advisory On social media use and mental health, former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Moorthy recommends making “Tech Free Zones” and encouraging children to “develop personal friendships.” Meanwhile, Many states Steps have been taken for Cell phone ban In schools
Swapping smartphones for flip phones
Ben said he averaged up to five hours of screen time per day. Once he switched to a flip phone, it went down for about 30 minutes. So, CBS News asked four of Ben’s friends, Carson, Ranita, Jamison and Maya — all eighth-graders in New Jersey — to try out flip phones for a week. Maya said she averaged more than 10 hours of screen time at the beginning of the week, mostly spent watching TV and on Tik Tok.
They were curious but skeptical about the experiment. Jamieson said he wasn’t doing as well as he wanted to in school and thought his phone use could be “a big factor in that.” Although Ranita plays three games, she admits to wasting time on her phone, with 30 minutes of scrolling turning into an hour without looking. Carson agreed to participate, but the avid basketball player was nervous. Maya, who likes to study English and has just taken up rowing, was hoping the ordeal would help her sleep better at night.
The day CBS News sat down with the teenagers, took their iPhones and iPads and handed them flip phones, the reactions were a mix of laughter, shuddering and confusion. They spent time gathering around the kitchen table with Ben and teaching him how to use these exotic devices, including learning to type text without a “modern” keyboard.
They left with instructions to try to stay in the spirit of the experiment and not use friends’ or parents’ phones as a crutch—and, of course, the promise that they’d get their smart devices back in a week.
Carson didn’t and recalled his phone within 24 hours, saying he stared at the wall until he went to basketball practice after school. Others chimed in, posting mostly positive reviews in video diaries taken on their parents’ phones during the experience.
“I’m sleeping a lot better, less tired during the day,” Maya said.
Jamison said it helps him finish his homework faster. Ranita reported that she was frustrated by not having her digital wallet and felt that her phone was missing other features.
Screen time linked to anxiety and depression in adolescents
Expert concerns about Increased screen time are not baseless. Between July 2021 and December 2023, half of U.S. youth ages 12 to 18 had four hours or more of screen time per day. About 23% had three hours a day, 17.8% had two hours, 6.1% had one hour, according to a report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and only 3% had less than one hour. It was time.
Teens who get four or more hours of screen time each day are more likely to have anxiety and depression. Report found
Living life beyond screens
After seven days, the experiment was over. Teens noticed a difference — and so did their parents.
“I talked to my parents a lot and like I went out with my friends a lot,” Jamison said.
Jamieson’s mother, Amy Lita, said that when her son went back to his smartphone, there were hundreds of messages from the group chats, “but he thought it was all bullshit and didn’t feel like he was missing out.” gone.”
Maya said she learned the importance of having a life outside of your screen. His mother, Lani Padilla, hopes the experience can help him do different things moving forward.
“I’m hoping this will plant the seeds to think a little more critically about how she uses her smartphone — and me, too,” Padilla said.
Next month will be a full year for Ben and his flip phone. Her friends may not be joining her full-time, but she believes it’s never too late to make a change—and it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
“It doesn’t have to be as drastic as getting rid of all your social media completely. I have an Instagram account that I’ll use on my computer, but it’s more about doing the little things that you do. “It’s a constant need to get together to fix it,” Ben said.
Ben’s mom, Jane Cohen-Wigder, hopes more parents take notice.
“I think if people really listen to kids and take a good look, it might cause people to re-evaluate how their kids use their phones. It’s something like that. That’s what people should be concerned about,” he said.
Meg Oliver
