Tel Aviv expands smartphone ban pilot to all high schools

After a year-long pilot in a limited number of schools, Tel Aviv-Yafo decided to expand the 'Education with Attention' program to all high schools in the city. The pilot involved removing smartphones from the learning environment. The most notable impact was during breaks: in schools not participating, 79% of students used phones moderately or heavily during breaks, while in participating schools, 74% of students did not use phones at all or used them rarely. The freed-up time led to significantly higher reports of positive social activities during breaks. There was also a preliminary positive indication of improved concentration, though researchers noted that it is not yet possible to definitively attribute the improvement directly to the program. Mayor Huldai stated, 'When we started the move... I said I have a dream: that we will be able to say we are going to manage technology and not be managed by it. The initial findings strengthen the belief that the direction is right. This is not a war on technology... but we also want to give them back the simple moments between themselves. This is not an easy move, but I believe it is the right, responsible, and healthy move.'