Latest news with #phonefree
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
3 Pennsylvania lawmakers will introduce legislation to make all schools phone-free
Three state senators announced they will be introducing legislation to make all schools in Pennsylvania phone-free, and already a dozen are signed on as co-sponsors. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by State Sen. Devlin Robinson, a Republican representing part of Allegheny County, along with two Democrats who represent Philadelphia and Bucks County. They cite the growing body of research showing the harms of smartphone use in kids and teenagers, including mental health challenges and declining test scores. They also point to a poll of teachers showing 83% want phones banned the entire day, and many parents have reached out to Sen. Robinson about the issue. "I've heard from a lot of parents in my district that they are tired of their children being distracted in schools," Robinson says. "Think about how much money it costs to educate students. Do you want your investment to be distracted and derailed at schools? Students are there for a reason. They're there for learning. They're there for reading, writing and arithmetic, and the phone is getting in the way." Two-thirds of states have enacted cell phone restrictions in schools, and 17 have what's known as "bell to bell" policies, where schools are phone-free the entire day, including lunch and in hallways. Robinson says he intends for the Pennsylvania legislation to be "bell to bell," but let school boards decide the details and how to enforce it. He intends to introduce the legislation this fall.
The National
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Is life more fun with our phones locked away? And a look at Glastonbury surprises
On Culture Bites this week, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the perks of going phone-free during comedy shows. Enas tells Farah about her experience of watching Dave Chappelle's stand-up act in Abu Dhabi where the provocative comedian took to the stage for a second year in a row. Attendees had to secure their smart devices in locked pouches to ensure no one filmed the performance. The hosts reflect on how a phone-free environment can enrich the audience experience and protect the arts from being overshared and diluted. Meanwhile, the Glastonbury Festival continues to make headlines all over the world even after it wrapped. Beyond the A-star line-up of headline acts, plenty of surprise sets kept fans on their toes: from an unexpected return by Lewis Capaldi to a performance by New Zealand singer Lorde. Enas and Farah talk about the power of commodifying surprises in a world where predictability reigns. here.
New York Times
21-06-2025
- New York Times
Season Opener
Last night, at 10:42 p.m. Eastern, summer arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. With it, a major heat wave is affecting large swaths of the U.S. Keep yourself safe and stay cool however you can this weekend. If you can find your way to some water — a pool, a lake or a river, the ocean, your trusty old bathtub — do it. Not only will you cool off, but you'll also get the benefit that my friend Lori pointed out to me recently: Swimming is one of the only activities in modern life during which it's nearly impossible to be on your phone. (Fine, it's possible in the bathtub. But why are you on your phone in the bathtub?) The ideal of summer, the one that plays in my imagination during the colder months, is totally tech-free. It's all real life, all sensation: sun on skin, sand between toes, picking the corn cob free of its waxy silk, always smelling something grilling somewhere. There's no phone in this film, no text message or push alert, nothing vibrating in anyone's pocket. My colleagues on the Travel desk have a new story this morning about far-flung resorts where people pay up to $32,000 a night to get away from civilization, to unyoke themselves from the stranglehold of Wi-Fi. This seems extreme. But I still get nostalgic remembering the phone-free week I spent in the woods nearly two years ago, what a relief it was not to have that parallel life to tend to for a spell. Last week, I wrote about how to find a middle ground between obsession and retreat in the face of what feels like an impossible-to-process volume of information. The solution, as with so many of our persistent complaints, is presence. The phone takes us out of the present like nothing else. I've been thinking about the moment when you return, after having been deep in your phone, oblivious to your surroundings. There's this feeling of dislocation, like waking up. You have been traveling, you've been elsewhere, totally disconnected from the world, your home. You have this second where you aren't sure where you were, as if you've lost your place. You lose bits of your life when you're lost in your device. You know this, I know this, but somehow, in summer, it seems even more regrettable to miss out on the moment. It's finally warm enough to linger outside. There's enough daylight that, on a Saturday, you can get your chores done and still have time to lie in the grass with a book, to contemplate the leaves against the sky. On hot days in the city, you can see and smell the sun acting on the asphalt, refracting in blurry, mineral-y waves. The roses are almost obnoxious in their exuberance. Why would you want to miss a minute of this? Politics Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration, was released on bail, ending his three-month imprisonment. A federal judge sided with Harvard and barred the Trump administration from rescinding the school's right to host international students. The university has restarted talks with the White House to potentially settle their acrimonious dispute. The Trump administration laid off more than 600 workers from the federally funded news outlet Voice of America, leaving the broadcaster with fewer than 200 staffers. On Juneteenth, Trump did not utter the name of the federal holiday. It's part of a broader playbook to minimize the Black experience in America, writes Erica Green, a White House correspondent. This week, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that prohibits some medical treatments for transgender youths. In the video below, Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court, describes the three factions within the 6-to-3 decision. Click to watch. Iran-Israel War A day of talks between the European Union and Iran yielded no significant breakthroughs. An Iranian official said there would be 'no room for talking' until Israel stopped its attacks. Israel and Iran traded fire for the ninth consecutive day after a European diplomatic effort — dismissed by President Trump — made little immediate progress in preventing the exchanges of fire from spiraling into a broader war. In a fiery U.N. Security Council meeting, Israel and Iran blamed each other for the war, and their allies took familiar sides. Trump says he wants to make a nuclear deal with Iran in two weeks. Veteran diplomats warn that his timeline may be too short for a notoriously slow process. More International News Microsoft recently suspended a European official's email account, under orders from the Trump administration. The move stoked fears abroad: Can Trump use U.S. tech dominance as a cudgel? The crash of an Air India flight last week highlighted the danger of building busy airports within dense city neighborhoods. Vladimir Putin's insistence on maintaining the Russian offensive in Ukraine has come at a diplomatic cost. Other Big Stories A law student at the University of Florida won a class award for a paper he wrote promoting racist views. It set off months of campus turmoil. The Republican plan to terminate billions in clean energy tax credits would result in a hotter planet, scientists warn. Trump's funding cuts are forcing universities to consider tuition hikes and layoffs. Some New York City leaders want to include nearly two million noncitizens in the next census. Film and TV Flesh-shredding creatures are wandering, crawling and, most worryingly, running amok in '28 Years Later,' the third installment in the zombie film series. Read the review. Three directors are credited on Pixar's 'Elio,' about an orphaned boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens. But they're not all listed onscreen at the same time. Here's why. Times critics put together a list of the best TV shows of 2025 so far, including the animated conspiracy thriller 'Common Side Effects.' In an era of skepticism around live-action remakes, Universal believed a new 'How to Train Your Dragon' would draw audiences. Read the inside story of the studio's big bet. More Culture Many modern video games take inspiration from Studio Ghibli, the famed Japanese animation studio. FIFA, soccer's governing body, unveiled a luxury fashion line at a starry party in L.A. See inside. New York City restaurants won three of the six major awards at the James Beard Restaurant awards this week, including outstanding chef and outstanding hospitality. After a ban last year, Joey Chestnut will return to the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Leonard Lauder, the visionary executive behind Estée Lauder who died last week at 92, was the original beauty influencer. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNA
24-05-2025
- CNA
How to travel without a phone
In today's hyperconnected world, traveling without a phone seems impossible, or at the very least, pointless. But for those who've done it, the experience can be rewarding and rejuvenating. In January, Soraya Lemboumba, 40, a project manager in Switzerland, spent 10 days in Panama on a phone-free trip. 'It was absolutely life-changing,' she said. She said she awoke to the sounds of nature rather than an alarm and didn't spend her time composing captions for social media in her head or use her phone to fill the silence. 'I spent days immersed in pure presence,' she said. Thinking of disconnecting for your next trip? Here are some steps to start. DECIDE YOUR RULES Before leaving for the airport, decide whether you're bringing a laptop or tablet or nothing at all. A laptop performs all the functions of your smartphone, but you're less likely to bring it to dinner table or the beach. Then, if you're bringing a device, write down a list of rules to govern your tech use throughout your trip. For example: I won't use electronics for entertainment on this trip. If I can't hail a taxi, I'll use my laptop for Uber. I'll use my tablet only an hour per day for researching activities and lodging. A physical list codifies a system and eliminates temptation during those bored, anxious moments that inevitably arise during travel, which prompt you to grab your device. You can modify the rules throughout your trip if you feel they're not working. Downloading app blocker extensions like Freedom, ScreenZen and Opal can block apps or websites like YouTube, Instagram and X for preset periods of time. Temporarily deleting apps is another effective way to prevent mindless scrolling. NAVIGATING THE AIRPORT Most anxiety from phoneless travel centres on logistics, like what will happen at the airport or train station, where there are schedules, and possible delays and cancellations. As a rule of thumb, allow ample time for transportation — at least an extra hour to buffer against scheduling mishaps or contingencies. Without a phone to display e-tickets, you'll need to rely on paper boarding passes. Most airlines will print them out for you at the kiosks free of charge. But be careful, some charge a fee per person, per direction, to print boarding passes. Avoid this fee by printing them out beforehand. With no airline app, you'll need to remember to keep an eye on those monitors throughout the airport for delays and gate changes, and don't hesitate to ask the gate attendants and airline employees for help or directions. Catherine Price, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, reminds us that digitised travel isn't always desirable. 'People forget that you can rely on paper,' Price said, 'and the feeling of freedom outweighs any minor inconvenience.' GETTING YOUR BEARINGS When you arrive at your lodging, introduce yourself to the front desk and concierge, addressing them by their first names — a scientifically proven way to curry favour, which can be helpful if you need directions printed or taxis hailed throughout your trip. To orient yourself near your hotel or other lodging, walk in increasingly larger concentric circles outward. Use physical maps and expect mistakes. The beauty of phoneless travel comes in the hiccups, as wrong turns often lead to incredible memories. You'll find that you learn a city faster by relying on your wits and not GPS, which is a thrilling realisation. Write down the full address of your accommodations and keep it safely tucked into your wallet in case you get lost. Worst-case scenario, show it to a taxi driver or a local. In place of a translator app, pick up a phrase book to carry with you (Lonely Planet's, in numerous languages, cost around US$12). If you adopt a conversationalist's mind-set, your trip will blossom in special, unforeseen ways. If you're confronted with a QR code for, say, museum entry, merely explain your situation to the person behind you and ask to tag along, giving them cash for the ticket. This is how you unexpectedly make friends and access the serendipity of travel. TAKING PICTURES WITHOUT A PHONE Purchase a disposable camera or a digital camera , and practice a philosophy of intention — take one picture of something you want to remember, then put your camera away. 'Every time you take a picture on vacation, you take yourself out of the moment,' Price said. 'You get too wrapped up in photos, especially if you're taking them to post on social media for others. Don't perform your vacation. Live it.' Writing in a journal at the end of the day can solidify the memories you've made. Instead of looking back through pictures on your phone, you can read your vacation and relive these cherished memories in a more illustrative way. Taking 'mental snapshots' helped Lemboumba internalise memories by mindfully soaking in experiences as they happened. 'The moments I didn't photograph are, ironically, now the ones I remember the most vividly,' she said. HANDLING EMERGENCIES The prospect of an emergency keeps many from attempting phoneless travel, but real emergencies are rare. The emergencies you're likely to face are practical ones, like missing a train. These may seem catastrophic in the moment, but with the right attitude they're nothing more than speed bumps. Since you won't have Apple Pay or similar services, in addition to a credit card, carry US$200 to US$300 in local currency in a secured travel bag that straps across your body. (Cash is handy for extricating yourself from sticky situations.) For female solo travellers who are anxious about phoneless travel, buy a prepaid burner phone and stick it in the bottom of your backpack. You can always borrow a phone in a time of crisis, and always let loved ones know your itinerary ahead of time. If phoneless solo travel feels too daunting, consider joining a group. Grace Borges, a 35-year-old research analyst from Washington, attended a five-day phoneless trip to Cuba last year with FTLO Travel, which specialises in group travel for young professionals. The tour guide handled logistics, and because she was in a group, 'sticking to the phoneless ethos was easier because everyone was in the same boat,' she said.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- New York Times
How to Travel Without a Phone
In today's hyperconnected world, traveling without a phone seems impossible, or at the very least, pointless. But for those who've done it, the experience can be rewarding and rejuvenating. In January, Soraya Lemboumba, 40, a project manager in Switzerland, spent 10 days in Panama on a phone-free trip. 'It was absolutely life-changing,' she said. She said she awoke to the sounds of nature rather than an alarm and didn't spend her time composing captions for social media in her head or use her phone to fill the silence. 'I spent days immersed in pure presence,' she said. Thinking of disconnecting for your next trip? Here are some steps to start. Before leaving for the airport, decide whether you're bringing a laptop or tablet or nothing at all. A laptop performs all the functions of your smartphone, but you're less likely to bring it to dinner table or the beach. Then, if you're bringing a device, write down a list of rules to govern your tech use throughout your trip. For example: A physical list codifies a system and eliminates temptation during those bored, anxious moments that inevitably arise during travel, which prompt you to grab your device. You can modify the rules throughout your trip if you feel they're not working. Downloading app blocker extensions like Freedom, ScreenZen and Opal can block apps or websites like YouTube, Instagram and X for preset periods of time. Temporarily deleting apps is another effective way to prevent mindless scrolling. Most anxiety from phoneless travel centers on logistics, like what will happen at the airport or train station, where there are schedules, and possible delays and cancellations. As a rule of thumb, allow ample time for transportation — at least an extra hour to buffer against scheduling mishaps or contingencies. Without a phone to display e-tickets, you'll need to rely on paper boarding passes. Most airlines will print them out for you at the kiosks free of charge. But be careful, some airlines — namely Frontier — charge a $25 fee per person, per direction, to print boarding passes. Avoid this fee by printing them out beforehand. With no airline app, you'll need to remember to keep an eye on those monitors throughout the airport for delays and gate changes, and don't hesitate to ask the gate attendants and airline employees for help or directions. Catherine Price, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, reminds us that digitized travel isn't always desirable. 'People forget that you can rely on paper,' Ms. Price says, 'and the feeling of freedom outweighs any minor inconvenience.' When you arrive at your lodging, introduce yourself to the front desk and concierge, addressing them by their first names — a scientifically proven way to curry favor, which can be helpful if you need directions printed or taxis hailed throughout your trip. To orient yourself near your hotel or other lodging, walk in increasingly larger concentric circles outward. Use physical maps and expect mistakes. The beauty of phoneless travel comes in the hiccups, as wrong turns often lead to incredible memories. You'll find that you learn a city faster by relying on your wits and not GPS, which is a thrilling realization. Write down the full address of your accommodations and keep it safely tucked into your wallet in case you get lost. Worst-case scenario, show it to a taxi driver or a local. In place of a translator app, pick up a phrase book to carry with you (Lonely Planet's, in numerous languages, cost around $12). If you adopt a conversationalist's mind-set, your trip will blossom in special, unforeseen ways. If you're confronted with a QR code for, say, museum entry, merely explain your situation to the person behind you and ask to tag along, giving them cash for the ticket. This is how you unexpectedly make friends and access the serendipity of travel. Purchase a disposable camera or a digital camera for $50, and practice a philosophy of intention — take one picture of something you want to remember, then put your camera away. 'Every time you take a picture on vacation, you take yourself out of the moment,' Ms. Price said. 'You get too wrapped up in photos, especially if you're taking them to post on social media for others. Don't perform your vacation. Live it.' Writing in a journal at the end of the day can solidify the memories you've made. Instead of looking back through pictures on your phone, you can read your vacation and relive these cherished memories in a more illustrative way. Taking 'mental snapshots' helped Ms. Lemboumba internalize memories by mindfully soaking in experiences as they happened. 'The moments I didn't photograph are, ironically, now the ones I remember the most vividly,' she said. The prospect of an emergency keeps many from attempting phoneless travel, but real emergencies are rare. The emergencies you're likely to face are practical ones, like missing a train. These may seem catastrophic in the moment, but with the right attitude they're nothing more than speed bumps. Since you won't have Apple Pay or similar services, in addition to a credit card, carry $200 to $300 in local currency in a secured travel bag that straps across your body. (Cash is handy for extricating yourself from sticky situations.) For female solo travelers who are anxious about phoneless travel, buy a prepaid burner phone for $40 and stick it in the bottom of your backpack. You can always borrow a phone in a time of crisis, and always let loved ones know your itinerary ahead of time. If phoneless solo travel feels too daunting, consider joining a group. Grace Borges, a 35-year-old research analyst from Washington, attended a five-day phoneless trip to Cuba last year with FTLO Travel, which specializes in group travel for young professionals. The tour guide handled logistics, and because she was in a group, 'sticking to the phoneless ethos was easier because everyone was in the same boat,' she said. Remember in moments of stress: Everyone traveled this way just a few decades ago.
