We endorse the new phone policy by McKenzie County Public School District No. 1
Farmer Editorial Board
Any adult trying to bargain for the attention of their child knows the challenges that smartphones bring. In the right situation, a phone in a child’s hand can provide communication and peace of mind. But a phone loaded with social media apps brings a host of concerns, ranging from simple distractions to hurtful comments to vile images.
It’s no surprise, then, that the people who run our schools are finding that competing with a smartphone during the school day is almost impossible.
Smartphones, social media, and video games create large spikes in dopamine deep inside a child’s brain. A recent story from National Public Radio explained that those spikes pull the child’s attention to the device or app, almost like a magnet. They tell the child’s brain that this activity is way more important than other activities that trigger smaller spikes in dopamine, such as finishing homework, helping to clean up after dinner, or even playing outside with friends.