The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/rfk-jr-s-health-department-is-studying-health-effects-of-cellphones-b4c3a468?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcx5z2O_cjc3AfhKqm-TqE3qYkNQ7VAuYO1m7ldcf9U8Ut4GM4UEEVZu6OnkXs%3D&amp;gaa_ts=696e3454&amp;gaa_sig=WC6JxftbtEEF2p5_PY5AV_kQUzfxafb1CdWcsP9wCTw4Gi567JbjmvgathHyEtxG_Du7MhLA90SUTJhhRdkaKA%3D%3D">launching a new study</a> into the potential health effects of cellphone radiation, a move that reflects long-standing concerns raised by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies but may run counter to the conclusions of many major scientific and regulatory bodies.
According to HHS, the study will examine electromagnetic radiation and human health to identify gaps in current scientific knowledge, including risks associated with newer technologies. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the effort is being undertaken while older federal webpages asserting that cellphones are not dangerous have been removed, describing those conclusions as outdated. The study was directed by President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission and follows earlier MAHA-aligned efforts, including policies cited by HHS claiming that 22 states restricted cellphone use in schools to improve children’s health.
The Food and Drug Administration, which operates under HHS, quietly removed webpages that had previously stated that the weight of scientific evidence did not link cellphone radio-frequency exposure to health problems. While summaries of those pages still exist, the original links now redirect to general information about the FDA’s regulatory role. Other federal agencies, however, have not changed their positions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the Federal Communications Commission continue to say that existing evidence does not demonstrate a causal link between cellphone use and cancer, though some note that further research is warranted.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer by training, has for years argued that wireless radiation poses serious health risks. He has represented plaintiffs who blamed brain tumors on cellphone use, chaired Children’s Health Defense, and helped force a federal court review of FCC radiation standards in 2020. He has publicly warned that children are exposed to what he calls a “toxic soup” of wireless radiation.
Many mainstream scientists disagree, as large epidemiological studies have found no link between cellphone use and cancer, and experts note that cellphones emit non-ionizing radiation, which does not damage DNA in the way cancer-causing radiation does. The World Health Organization similarly says there is no conclusive evidence of harm, though it encourages continued long-term research.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies During House Hearing

RFK Jr.’s Next Target? HHS Launches New Study On Cellphone Radiation

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A newly published <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/doi/10.1542/peds.2025-072941/205716/Smartphone-Ownership-Age-of-Smartphone-Acquisition?autologincheck=redirected">study</a> by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children who were given smartphones before the age of 12 were at a greater risk of developing future issues, including depression, obesity, poor sleep, and more.
Researchers noted that the earlier the study participants were given the devices, the more likely they were to develop the adverse effects.
Lead study author Dr. Ran Barzilay <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kids-smartphones-age-12-higher-risk-depression-obesity/story?id=127998537&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn&amp;utm_social_post_id=612027417&amp;utm_social_handle_id=28785486">told</a> ABC News that his motivations for conducting the study were both personal and professional. “I have a nine-year-old who wants a phone, and I think [whether to get them a smartphone] is a question that is relevant for every parent of a kid going into adolescence, even before adolescence,” he told the outlet.
“We didn’t even look at what the kids did on the phone,” the child psychiatrist said, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/children-smartphones-increased-risk-of-health-problems-study/">per</a> CBS News. “We basically asked one simple question: does the mere factor of having one’s own smartphone at this age range have anything to do with health outcomes?”
The study included data collected from 10,500 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) between 2018 and 2020. It was noted that 63.6% of the ABCD study participants owned a smartphone, and the median age at which they received the phone was 11 years old.
Researchers focused on children aged 9 to 16, seeking to identify health outcomes associated with when they were given a smartphone. The team found that 12-year-olds who had a cell phone had a 1.3 times higher risk of depression, a 1.4 times higher risk of obesity, and a 1.6 times higher risk of insufficient sleep as compared to their peers who did not have phones. 
The risk of developing these problems increased by 10% for each year earlier the children were given phones, with some kids being given smartphones as young as 4.
Dr. Barzilay said it was “quite surprising” to find that children who had no smartphone at 12 and then got one at 13 also had worse mental health and poorer-quality sleep that year, even after the study controlled for those factors.
The study’s conclusion stated, “Smartphone ownership was associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolescence. Findings provide critical and timely insights that should inform caregivers regarding adolescent smartphone use and, ideally, the development of public policy that protects youth.”
The researcher also concluded that his 9-year-old, who wants a phone, is “not getting a phone anytime soon. Clear decision.”

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Children Given Smartphones By Age 12 Have Greater Risk Of Depression And Obesity, Study Finds

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For all the attention Generation Z gets, we need to start talking about Generation Alpha while there is still time to save them from their older siblings’ dismal futures. Born between 2010 and 2024, Gen Alpha is the youngest living age demographic with its members ranging from toddlers to younger adolescents. Most still have all of high school ahead of them and none have entered the workforce as adults.
American twelfth graders, who are on the younger side of the Gen Z cohort, are at their <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/test-scores-low-reading-math-naep-d87099b6?mod=Searchresults&amp;pos=1&amp;page=1">lowest reading proficiency levels</a> on record. Our broken education system has enabled that steady decline over the last two decades as K-12 schools push forward failing students who cannot read, and college curriculum has made it possible to earn a degree <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945/">without reading a whole book</a>. Poor literacy levels have, of course, led to a national crisis with <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/05/lifestyle/gen-z-turns-to-ai-for-homework-essays-and-college-apps/">writing ability</a>.
This confluence of trends — combined with the rise of AI — risks Gen Alpha’s future success in work and in life. The good news is that the solution is found at home. Parents can make the home life more conducive to their children’s future success by prioritizing off-screen reading … yes, physical books. Reading books is vital to keeping children ahead of the AI curve. And the home is where children need to become good readers so they can go on to become good writers.
Writing is the necessary transferable skill young people must perform to apply critical thinking, self-awareness, and logic to their jobs, tasks, and everyday lives. Lack of proficiency in the classroom leads to lack of accountability and responsibility in adulthood.
It is impossible to be a good writer without being a good reader, which makes fixing reading proficiency all the more urgent for today’s elementary and middle schoolers. As <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/agentic-ai-vs-generative-ai">generative and agentic AI</a> reorganize the workforce, high social and economic status will not be won by those that can simply use AI well, but those who think better than AI and can apply the technology in the production of new knowledge.
The urgency is today. A grown adult with poor reading proficiency is already lost and will spend the rest of his life behind the curve of those that can read, write, think, and do better. That string of verbs is not a list — it is a sequence of inseverable skills necessary to achieve success. If that prognostication seems bleak, that’s because children who use AI to do schoolwork do not see the pitfall lying beyond short-term convenience.
Children&#8217;s futures may come to resemble Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World in which the lower castes of menial workers toil under the elite few who are capable of intelligent output. AI <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/02/ai-can-catalyze-and-inhibit-your-creativity-here-is-how/">does not create</a> new ideas or knowledge; it produces and iterates content based on past information and results. It yields answers derivative of other people’s intellectual labor without activating or engaging critical reasoning skills in the user.
The solution is for children to read good books that stand the test of time and have complex sentence structure. Reading early and reading often in childhood <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_reading_is_important_children_brain_development#:~:text=We%20discovered%20that%20reading%20for,time%20spent%20on%20electronic%20devices.">unlocks</a> intellectual and productive potential <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/foundational-learning">later in life</a>. Parents should replace at least some of their children’s screentime with good books. The number of books children read is less important than the quality of stories they read. They should mix non-fiction with fiction. The topics and sub-genres do not matter. It is the complement between truth in fact, and truth in expression that helps cultivate minds and critical reasoning.
Millennials are the parents of Gen Alpha and their childhoods model how to select rewarding books in a digital age filled with screentime. Millennials grew up on Reading Rainbow and Wishbone. Reading Rainbow brought children’s books to life with lively narration and Wishbone retold William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Walter Scott, Walter Irving, and other great authors. 
Parents can find worthwhile books about the animals, fantasy settings, sports, historical figures, and situations depicted in their children’s favorite shows, movies, and games. That is the strategy Reading Rainbow and Wishbone deployed: limited but enriching television content as a tool to catalyze lifelong love of reading and intellectual exploration in children. 
Technology has crushed the inner drive and desire to read, and AI is poised to turn that absence into personal failure on a mass scale. Meeting children where they are with a physical book can transition them away from complete dependence on digital technology for entertainment. Exposing children to slightly more literature can open up their worlds and increase chances for success.
I already dubbed Gen Z as the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gen-z-shaping-itself-into-wasted-generation">“Wasted Generation”</a> in early 2024, and that still holds true. But if nothing changes substantially, Gen Alpha will suffer from more severe and longer-lasting consequences than the arbitrary concentrated learning-loss Gen Z underwent during COVID-19.
Even with the lightning speed of President Trump’s educational reforms, it will still take years for reforms implemented today to take hold and reverse prevailing trends. Let’s focus on where we can make a long-term difference for most people. That focus needs to be on Gen Alpha. Let’s help them now while we can. Cultivating and encouraging reading at home is the best way for parents to set their children up for success in our brave new world.
* * *
Zachary Marschall, PhD is Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Institute&#8217;s Campus Reform and an adjunct assistant professor of arts administration at the University of Kentucky.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Across the country, Democrats and Republicans are united in their determination to get cellphones out of classrooms.
From Florida and Virginia to New York and North Dakota, over half of U.S. states have taken real steps to restrict or ban cellphone use in K-12 schools, according to the Parents Television and Media Council’s <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/2025-School-Phone-Policies-Update.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest survey</a> of state phone policies.
They&#8217;re responding to a growing body of research — and public outcry — showing that smartphones and social media are damaging student achievement, mental health, and classroom discipline.
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of American high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in their classrooms. One 2018 Rutgers study found that students who used phones during class scored lower on their final exams — as did students sitting near them, even if they weren’t using devices themselves. The London School of Economics reached the same conclusion: just having a phone within sight can reduce academic performance.
But the issue goes far beyond academics. Since smartphones became widespread, mental health among adolescents has been in sharp decline. Since 2010, suicide rates among preteen girls have risen by more than 160%. Boys aged 10–14 have seen a 91% increase. Much of this can be traced to social media addiction, cyberbullying, sextortion, fear of missing out, and algorithms that lead users to increasingly extreme content.
The truth is, for years, we’ve been sold the lie that giving kids unfettered access to technology would prepare them for the future. What it’s done instead is isolate them, addict them, and rob them of the ability to focus and relate in real life.
State legislators are doing what Congress so far has not: taking decisive action to protect America’s children from the harmful effects of digital addiction.
As of now, over 30 states have passed or advanced school-based smartphone policies. Even California — home to Silicon Valley — is moving toward mandated restrictions.
These state-level reforms demonstrate a willingness to tackle the problem head-on: “bell-to-bell” bans that restrict phone use throughout the school day, new funding for secure storage solutions, pilot programs to test best practices, and mandates to block access to social media on school Wi-Fi.
And they aren’t coming from a single party or ideology. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognize that tech-fueled distraction and distress have reached a crisis point — and local communities are demanding solutions.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Congress has yet to pass a single major law addressing the mental health fallout from kids’ digital dependence.
Parents are doing their part — but they are being asked to work alone to combat a multibillion-dollar industry that has integrated psychological manipulation into their business model. They need help — from schools, from tech companies, and especially from Congress.
It’s time for federal lawmakers to stop dragging their feet and caving to Big Tech interests by finally passing the Kids Online Safety Act.
This bipartisan bill would create a duty of care for online platforms to prevent harm to minors. It would give parents more control, limit manipulative algorithms, and require platforms to default to the safest settings for young users.
Congress could also take the former Surgeon General’s suggestion and require warning labels to be added to social media platforms, as New York and Minnesota already have. It’s one common-sense solution among many that rightly aims to confront social media harms
School cellphone bans alone won’t solve the youth mental health crisis. That will require a unified effort from states, the federal government, parents, and teachers. Restricting kids’ access to phones during the day is a critical first step in combatting their digital dependence — and the broad, bipartisan support for these policies should serve as an example of what can be done.
Our children deserve better. So do the parents and teachers working hard to raise and educate them.
Congress should be the force that empowers these efforts — not the obstacle standing in the way.
Melissa Henson is the vice president of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. Follow them on X @ThePTC
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Israeli secret service operatives used a fake phone call to trigger what appeared to be an &#8220;emergency meeting&#8221; among Iran&#8217;s top military leaders — and then targeted the location of the meeting.
According to a <a href="https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israeli-secret-services-used-fake-phone-call-to-lure-irans-air-force-elite-to-their-deaths-ejqk7guy">report</a> published Tuesday by The Jewish Chronicle, Mossad used Iranian communication channels as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting top Iranian Air Force officials and luring them all to the same location for what they believed to be an important meeting.
Amit Segal told the Call Me Back podcast on Monday: “What Israel did was create a fake phone call for 20 members of the air force senior staff an calling them to a specific bunker in Tehran.”
This meant there was no one to give the order to fire the initial salvo of 1,000 ballistic missiles as Iran had previously threatened to do, he added.
The added bonus for the Israelis was that Iranian military leadership was essentially crippled from the moment of Israel’s first strike against the world’s top sponsor of terrorism.
As The Chronicle reported, Mossad had used “falsified communications through Iranian channels” to call the meeting — which successfully lured “the entire senior leadership of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, including Commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, his deputies, and key technical personnel, into a fortified bunker outside Tehran.”
Shortly before the first Israeli missiles struck other targets across Iran, “that bunker was hit in a precision airstrike, eliminating Iran’s top missile command.”
As a result, no one was “alive to give the command to strike back” when Israel hit Iran with the first missile barrage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country had no choice but to act as Iran has continued to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities — and President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly voiced support for Israel, has said on numerous television appearances dating back more than a decade that the Iranian regime could not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

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Fake Israeli Phone Call Triggered Meeting Of Iranian Leaders. Then Israel Targeted Meeting Location.

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The Trump Organization on Monday <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aax7DFNSNUE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Trump Mobile, an American-based cellular network that aims to bring “American values” to the wireless industry.
The launch — which marks a decade since President Donald Trump announced his first presidential campaign — featured Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, both executive vice presidents at the Trump Organization. Both Trumps spoke at the Manhattan launch alongside other partners.
&#8220;One of the places where we felt there was lackluster performance was in the mobile industry,” Donald Trump Jr. said. His brother touched on the necessity to increase domestic production of technology, saying, &#8220;It’s about time we bring products back to our great country.&#8221;
Donald Jr. said, &#8220;With Trump Mobile, we&#8217;re going to be introducing an entire package of products.&#8221;
The <a href="https://trumpmobile.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service</a> boasts &#8220;The 47 Plan,&#8221; a $47.45 per month, 5G nationwide network with unlimited telehealth services, roadside assistance, and unlimited texting to about 100 countries. The organization also announced a new line of smartphones, the first of which, the T1, is listed at $499. The gold-colored T1 smartphone, which is only available through preorder, has &#8220;T1&#8221; and the American flag engraved on the back.
One of the other partners spoke about the service&#8217;s specific benefits. He said that, &#8220;We have your health, we have your phone&#8217;s health, we have your car&#8217;s health- we&#8217;re taking care of what matters to the American people most, which is getting to work, taking their family out, and doing things that are worthwhile.&#8221;
According to the Trump Mobile <a href="https://trumpmobile.com/about-us">website</a>, &#8220;At Trump Mobile, we believe wireless service should reflect American values — simple, honest, and built for hardworking people. [&#8230;] With Trump Mobile, you don’t just get a phone plan — you get service powered by American pride, freedom, and integrity.&#8221;
In a statement on the <a href="https://www.trump.com/media/trump-mobile-launches-a-bold-new-wireless-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Organization’s website</a>, Eric Trump said, &#8220;We&#8217;re especially proud to offer free long-distance calling to our military members and their families — because those serving overseas should always be able to stay connected to the people they love back home.&#8221;
Eric Trump said at the press conference that &#8220;All of your customer service will be done in America. It will be done in St. Louis, Missouri.&#8221; He also called the venture &#8220;All-American, based here in America, with an American family.&#8221;
This new enterprise is the first major endeavor by The Trump Organization since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-begins-presidency-as-a-crypto-billionaire-with-meme-coins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$TRUMP</a>, a digital memecoin, launched a few days before Trump took the oath of office in January.
Some <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/16/trump-organization-mobile-phones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commentators</a> worry that the Trump Organization’s entrance into the mobile service market will bias the president against companies like Samsung and Apple, whose manufacturing is international and subject to American tariffs.
The T1 phone is available for preorder for $100 and is expected to arrive around September.

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Our children are bombarded by technology, certainly a natural progression of our tech-dependent society. But our educational institutions, with tech companies’ eager help, have enabled this growth – and dependency.
Surveys <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-the-massive-shift-to-1-to-1-computing-means-for-schools-in-charts/2022/05">indicate</a> that more than 90% of middle and high school students and more than 80% of elementary students have a school-issued learning device.
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-03-19/michael-bloomberg-kids-are-spending-too-much-class-time-on-laptops?utm_campaign=wp_the_technology_202&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter">pointed out</a> that children are spending too much time on laptops at school, citing that “social skills are deteriorating and test scores are near historic lows,” and called on schools to turn back to “using books and pens.”
Children’s near ubiquitous use of screens at school is worth reconsidering, in light of the dismal <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nation’s Report Card</a> finding that students are losing ground in reading and are not improving in math. While screens in schools may not be the only reason children are failing, they also don’t appear to be helping.
This is one reason why there’s a growing movement of school districts and states taking steps to restrict students’ cell phone use in classrooms. A 2023 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/health/phones-allowed-school-children-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found that “97% of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during school time.”
Teachers see the impact of cell phone use in their classrooms. According to a Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted in fall 2023, 72% of U.S. high school teachers consider cell phone distraction a major problem in their classrooms. Middle school teachers (33%) and elementary school teachers (6%) also share concerns about student distraction due to cell phones.
Phones are not only distracting to children (and let’s admit it, they are for adults too), children are especially vulnerable to addictive technology and powerful algorithms that feed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tech-and-tv-study-shows-excessive-screen-time-explicit-content-changing-the-teenage-brain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful content</a> to them. Children can also be groomed by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and graphically violent content on social media platforms. Personal tech can also be weaponized in schools – creating and magnifying bullying situations against classmates and teachers.
For all of these reasons and more, children should not have smartphone access during the school day.
I am encouraged that school districts and elected leaders across the U.S. have been working to restrict cell phones in classrooms. The issue is even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-cell-phone-bans-states-e6d1fe8ddfde33f086d5cd2a19f4c148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uniting Republicans and Democrats</a>. Los Angeles Unified School District banned them, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a plan to ban them, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wants to restrict them, to name a few. Across the pond, Denmark has banned phones in schools and there are calls for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/ban-mobile-phones-schools-europe-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the EU</a> to do the same.
The Parents Television and Media Council’s whitepaper, <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/240723-REPORT-School-Phone-Policies.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartphones in the Classroom: What States are Doing to Confront These Digital Distractions</a> (July 2024) revealed that 28 U.S. states made efforts to eliminate or restrict cell phones in classrooms. That number is certainly larger now.
For this to work though, it will take parents uniting against these digital distractions, as many parents want to be able to reach their child instantaneously if there’s an emergency. While this is a valid concern, most schools already encourage parents to call the school office should they need to reach their child.
There are enough anecdotes alone to know that freeing children from cell phones in school is wise. School administrators have seen children and teens increasingly interact with each other.
A Study.com <a href="https://teachinglicense.study.com/featured-insights/mobile-bans-increase-engagement-and-learning-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> found that “76% of teachers working in schools with strict cell phone policies believe that cell phone bans increase student engagement,” and “70% believe [the bans] enhance student safety.”
“Students were actually paying attention to his lessons,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-24/yondr-pouches-enforce-school-cell-phone-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a high school dean of students about one teacher’s feedback after the Los Angeles Unified School District’s cell phone ban began.
If our children are to succeed in school, it’s time to reduce screen time – and cell phone use – during the school day.
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Melissa Henson is the Vice President of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. On X: @ThePTC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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It’s Time To Remove Cell Phones From The Classroom

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Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Woody Harrelson</a> recently explained why he doesn’t carry a cell phone.
The 62-year-old star discussed his reasoning during an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8K9V3XWyqQ">interview</a> on SiriusXM’s &#8220;Where Everybody Knows Your Name&#8221; podcast with Ted Danson, which aired Wednesday. Harrelson was talking about issues with cell phones in a conversation with actress Kristin Bell. 
&#8220;And let me explain something about Woody,&#8221; Danson said. &#8220;He doesn&#8217;t have a phone. He&#8217;s one of those bullies in life that make other people carry his phone for him.&#8221;
Harrelson replied that while the statement was “not exactly true,” he did have a complicated relationship with the technology after observing certain habits.
&#8220;Well, I just don&#8217;t like to have, you know, to be readily available to any human being at any time,&#8221; Harrelson said. 
Bell agreed, saying, &#8220;I hear that. It doesn&#8217;t feel good.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s not the reason,” Harrelson corrected. “I like to be in touch with people in a way, but I don&#8217;t like the appendage on my appendage.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;You know, I made a thing where I&#8217;m like, &#8216;Okay, I&#8217;m gonna set a two-hour limit on my phone,&#8217; because this is, I&#8217;ve given it up now three, three and a half years, but back then I was like, &#8216;Okay, I&#8217;m going to set this limit. Two hours.&#8217; It&#8217;s like 9:30. You know, I&#8217;ve already hit my limit at 9:30, so I woke up, and I&#8217;ve been on it two hours already because, cuz you know how it can just keep going and going.&#8221;
Danson asked Harrelson if those limits applied to certain things on the phone, like apps or texting. 
&#8220;Texting and, well, I don&#8217;t know about apps, but texting and also, you know, whatever, so I just finally, I wanted to be able to be in a, like if I were out to dinner with you, right? And there&#8217;s just a lull in the conversation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Oh, I&#8217;m on the phone. ‘Oh yeah. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.’ You know, and I look and I&#8217;m back down to the device and this.&#8221;
Bell mentioned how her two children helped her realize how excessive her phone usage was.
&#8220;But I think once you recognize that, it reshapes, at least it did for me, my whole perspective, and I think my kids had a lot to do with that, too, where I realized they were talking to me and my kids are also very, like, emotionally articulate,&#8221; the “Frozen” actress said.
&#8220;So, if I&#8217;d be checking something, even if it would be the most valid thing ever, like, ‘Oh, her Jujitsu class is changing times tomorrow. I need to tell the other moms.&#8217; Whatever. A valid thing and one of my kids would look at me and go, &#8216;I just feel like you&#8217;re disconnected. I don&#8217;t have your whole attention, Mom,&#8217; and I&#8217;m like, ‘Oh f***,’&#8221; she went on.
Bell added, &#8220;When they get home from school, I do put it down. I put it upstairs,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not in my ether when we&#8217;re bopping around the house at night and I feel, I really enjoy being less connected to it. It&#8217;s such a trick.&#8221;
Danson concluded by saying he could understand Harrelson’s position. &#8220;Yeah. I admire what you do with phones by the way, Woody. I need to emulate that more.&#8221;

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson Explains Why He No Longer Carries A Cell Phone

Celebrities

Entertainment

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-across-the-country-impacted-by-massive-cellular-outage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cellular outage</a> that crippled service for AT&amp;T customers all over the U.S. on Thursday was likely the result of a software update gone wrong, the company said. 
After speculation that the massive outage could have been caused by a cyberattack or even a sun flare, AT&amp;T released a <a href="https://about.att.com/pages/network-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> explaining that it believes the outage was caused by “the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack.” 
&#8220;We are continuing our assessment of today’s outage to ensure we keep delivering the service that our customers deserve,&#8221; AT&amp;T added. 
Sources familiar with the situation told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/att-outage-impacting-us-customers-company/story?id=107440297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a> that initial findings from the company pointed to a software update glitch and the company was not concerned about any malicious external activity causing the disruption. National Security Advisor John Kirby said on Thursday that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security had been investigating the cause of the outage, concerned about a possible cyberattack. 
AT&amp;T’s service issues on Thursday morning prevented at least 70,000 customers from using the basic functions on their phones, with some customers also unable to call 911. The outages mainly impacted people in Houston, Atlanta, San Antonio, Miami, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Louisville, leaving them unable to call, text, or use the internet on their cell phones, according to tracking site <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/att/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Downdetector</a>.
There were also reports of outages from Verizon and T-Mobile customers, but those companies said the reports of service problems came from customers attempting to communicate with people on other networks.
Some concerned and frustrated AT&amp;T customers went to their local stores to find out what was happening. One <a href="https://twitter.com/raphousetv7/status/1760813398907040118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1760813398907040118%7Ctwgr%5Ebc963d4502bda4fc0f8f81a6f118c3050c9e2a71%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2024%2F02%2F23%2Fbusiness%2Fatampt-blames-software-update-glitch-for-outage%2F">video</a> posted to X showed an AT&amp;T employee telling angry customers that the company was experiencing an outage and there was nothing he could do. 
One AT&amp;T customer, who waited outside a store in South Florida, said he couldn’t do his job since his phone service wasn’t working. 
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&#8220;I&#8217;m an electrician. Every morning I receive a call to let me know where I&#8217;m heading for to work and right now I don&#8217;t even know where I&#8217;m going,&#8221; said Dave Cash, according to <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/investigations/cause-of-at-t-outage-remains-mystery-as-south-florida-residents-flock-to-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPTV</a>. 
AT&amp;T said on Thursday afternoon that its network had been restored to normal. 
&#8220;We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers. We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future,&#8221; the company said. 
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

AT&T Ahead Of Earnings Figures

AT&T Says Massive Service Outage Likely Caused By Software Update Glitch

AT&amp;T

U.S.

Tens of thousands of Americans across the country had their cellular service disrupted earlier Thursday morning as AT&amp;T’s network was reportedly down for over 60,000 customers. 
There were also reports of outages from Verizon and T-Mobile customers. The outages mainly impacted people in Houston, Atlanta, San Antonio, Miami, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Louisville, leaving them unable to call, text, or use the internet on their cell phones, according to tracking site Downdetector. 
The spike in outages first occurred at 3:33 a.m. CST with 32,836 reports of disruptions before dipping at around 5:00 a.m. before jumping back up to around 66,000 by 6:51 a.m., <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/att/">according</a> to Downdector. 
T-Mobile customers also reported nearly 1,500 disruptions, with highest number reported at 6:39 a.m. Around the same time, over 3,500 Verizon customers <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/verizon/">reported</a> disruptions as well. The Verizon and T-Mobile customers largely overlapped with the areas where the AT&amp;T outages were reported. According to T-Mobile, this occurred because they were attempting to communicate with people on other networks. 
The San Francisco Fire Department said early Thursday morning that it was aware of the service problems saying that people were having trouble calling 911. 
“We are aware of an issue impacting AT&amp;T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911),” the department said in a post on X. “We are actively engaged and monitoring this. The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.”
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The department also told people to try call using a landline instead of a cell phone.
“If you are an AT&amp;T customer and cannot get through to 911, then please try calling from a landline. If that is not an option then please try to get ahold of a friend or family member who is a customer of a different carrier and ask them to call 911 on your behalf.Do not call or text 911 to simply test your phone service,” the department said. 
AT&amp;T has not yet issued any statements on why the outages have occurred, but a spokesman did tell Fox that the network encourage people to use WiFi calling in the meantime.
&#8220;Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,&#8221; spokesman Jim Greer <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/cell-phone-outage-hits-att-customers-nationwide-verizon-tmobile-users-also-affected?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox.

Cellphone Tower

Americans Across The Country Impacted By Massive Cellular Outage

General

It’s nearly impossible not to smile at a young baby when confronted with a toothless grin — and even a difficult day can improve when a child, unprompted, offers a wave. These connections with children are sweet and endearing, but they offer something even more important: they give them developmental skills that will help them excel later in life.
Parents may be aware of their small child’s need for interaction beginning at a young age, and research has shown that eye contact in particular is imperative for infants’ development. In a 2002 paper, researchers <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC123187/#:~:text=Making%20eye%20contact%20is%20the,of%20others%20conveys%20significant%20information." target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted</a> experiments showing the importance of making eye contact with newborns. “Making eye contact is the most powerful mode of establishing a communicative link between humans,” the authors noted. “During their first year of life, infants learn rapidly that the looking behaviors of others conveys significant information.” They found that babies preferred looking at people who were making eye contact with them, noting that “[t]he exceptionally early sensitivity to mutual gaze [eye contact] … is arguably the major foundation for the later development of social skills.”
Interactions with children at a young age play a major role in the development of the child, especially communication skills. Abby Barnes, a speech therapist,<a href="https://www.expressable.com/learning-center/babies-and-toddlers/parent-phone-use-can-affect-kids-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> discusses</a> how undivided attention from caregivers helps babies master communication capabilities even before they can talk. Barnes details how simply speaking to one’s child can help them in so many areas, such as “[p]lay development,” “[t]heir ability to form phrases and sentences,” “[b]ack and forth interactions,” “eye contact,” and skills in communicating what they want and need. All of these skills help them grow and become high-functioning adults in society who have the ability to interact with people in both casual circumstances and on deep, emotional levels.
In recent years, however, a new object has been the focus of our attention and children are taking note. Young babies are often enthralled with a parent’s smartphone. This can be the case even if the child is not allowed to use the phone or interact with the screen. The lights are enticing, but they are also picking up on our own obsession with the devices.
Dubbed “<a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_dangers_of_distracted_parenting">distracted parenting</a>,” concern has increased over parents’ use of their mobile devices when they are with their children — not only because of the dangers it may pose in a high-risk setting, but because of how the child’s development could be impaired.
According to Dr. Michael Mintz, a clinical psychologist at Children’s National Hospital, babies <a href="https://www.romper.com/p/why-do-babies-love-cell-phones-bright-screens-are-only-part-of-it-19369593" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notice</a> the attachment adults have to their devices as they get close to turning one year old. “They observe adults spending long periods of time looking at their phones, and they probably notice how frequently we tend to have our phones in our hands,&#8221; Mintz told Romper.
<div id="attachment_638575" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-638575" class="wp-image-638575 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-864x576.jpg" alt="Father working from home while holding toddler" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-1305308957-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />MoMo Productions. Getty Images.</div>
Children’s device activity is a common consideration among parents who try to limit or control how often their child uses a screen. They might be missing the point, however, if they focus all of their efforts on how to regulate the screen time of their kids instead of considering how often their own eyes are glued to screens when they are around their little ones. Research shows that when parents use cell phones in front of children, it has a negative impact on the child’s overall development and wellbeing. 
In a 2022 <a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/4731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, researchers found that parents reported that their children had a lower emotional intelligence if the parent used their mobile device more often in front of their child. A 2016 study <a href="https://dennis-tiwary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Myruski_et_al-2017-Developmental_Science_Still-Face.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> that a mother’s phone use has an impact on the social-emotional functioning of infants. When a mother reported using her cell phone more often, the child was less likely to explore his or her surroundings while she was distracted. Children also engaged less with the mother when the mother went back to interacting normally with the baby.
Boston University School of Medicine researchers also <a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2014/12/09/mobile-device-use-leads-to-few-interactions-between-mother-and-child-during-mealtime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> that mothers who used their cell phones were less likely to engage in conversation with their children during mealtimes. They had 20% fewer verbal interactions and 39% fewer nonverbal interactions, which can ultimately result in a less emotionally secure child.
Parental use of cell phones affects the ways in which children behave in public, as well, which is evidenced through an experiment conducted by one of the corresponding authors for the previous study, Dr. Jenny Radesky, in 2015. Radesky, along with two other researchers, <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/133/4/e843/32773/Patterns-of-Mobile-Device-Use-by-Caregivers-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watched</a> 55 caregivers as they ate with at least one child in fast food settings. As they observed, they took notes, finding that 40 caregivers used their devices while eating with the children. Radesky <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/04/21/304196338/for-the-childrens-sake-put-down-that-smartphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that lots of the caregivers were more interested in the phone than they were in the children.
“[Children] learn language, they learn about their own emotions, they learn how to regulate them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They learn by watching us how to have a conversation, how to read other people&#8217;s facial expressions. And if that&#8217;s not happening, children are missing out on important development milestones.”
<div id="attachment_638577" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-638577" class="size-large wp-image-638577" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-864x576.jpg" alt="Full length of mother lifting daughter with legs while lying in park" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/GettyImages-492275653-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Morsa Images. Getty Images.</div>
Radesky discovered that when a child’s parents were heavily absorbed in their mobile devices, the child was more likely to misbehave, attempting to receive attention from the parent. The researchers also pointed out that the more a caregiver was absorbed by a device, the more likely they were to react sternly to a child acting out.
Catherine Steiner-Adair is a psychologist and author of “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age.” She spoke with 1,000 children, interviewing them about their parents’ use of cell phones and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/04/21/304196338/for-the-childrens-sake-put-down-that-smartphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NPR that the discussions often included feelings like “sad, mad, angry and lonely.” One girl told Steiner-Adair that she felt “boring…because [my dad] will take any text, any call, anytime — even on the ski lift!”
The ways in which parents <a href="https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-care/what-you-need-know-about-parent-child-attachment#:~:text=A%20positive%20early%20bond%20lays,challenges%20and%20recover%20from%20setbacks." target="_blank" rel="noopener">connect</a> with their children have major <a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2014/12/09/mobile-device-use-leads-to-few-interactions-between-mother-and-child-during-mealtime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implications</a> for the psychological wellbeing of the child and who he or she will become in the future. By gazing at our phones instead of our children, we are failing to provide them with the connections they crave. As mobile devices take the place of in-person interactions and allow us to receive information at a moment’s notice, they threaten to become a barrier between ourselves and the people we are able to impact the most.
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mother and son using digital media

Why Children Need Parents To Put The Phone Down And Look Them In The Eye

Readers Pass

Social Issues

A major controversy erupted last week involving a country singer. I’m not talking about Jason Aldean. 
I’m talking about Miranda Lambert, who ignited a fierce and important debate when she made the decision to stop in the middle of her concert in Las Vegas to lecture some fans in the front row who were taking selfies. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Miranda Lambert STOPS CONCERT to Call Out Fans Taking Selfies" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MPDBDo0Oy3k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Apparently, these fans were busy taking pictures of themselves instead of watching the show, and so Lambert decided to shame them in front of thousands of people. A decision that many on social media decried as excessive and bullying — but one that I fully and enthusiastically support. 
I will explain why in a moment. 
First, we have to get the other side of the story from the selfie culprits themselves, who were interviewed about the traumatic incident on Good Morning America. Here’s what they had to say:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Debate over concert etiquette after Miranda Lambert pauses performance l GMA" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mdo4Cc_M4as?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Well, I’m glad that we heard from the experts. The experts on phone usage at concerts. Good Morning America brought in the licensed, credentialed, concert selfie experts to give us the news that people take selfies at concerts a lot. We could not have known this without them. We needed their guidance and insight. We need the experts to help us navigate through every facet of life and answer every question, no matter how seemingly obvious and banal. Thank God for the experts. All hail the experts.
But this still leaves the question about whether Miranda Lambert was right to publicly scold a group of women for taking a few selfies, and the answer is that yes, she was. It is about time that someone in a position of influence — however mild that influence may be — stands up and speaks out against the selfie scourge that has gripped hold of our society for decades now. It has become so endemic, so inherent, that it seems pointless to complain about it. But the pointlessness of a complaint has never stopped me before, and it won’t now.
You do not need to take a picture of every single thing you experience in your life. You do not need documentation of every moment. You especially do not need documentation of yourself experiencing every moment. I’ve never understood the motivation here, which is why I never take selfies unless someone stops me in public and asks for one. Even then, I only do it because I’m afraid that if I refuse they’ll call up TMZ and complain about how rude Matt Walsh is. At which point, TMZ will respond, “Wait, who is Matt Walsh?” And that would make the whole thing even more embarrassing.
The point is that selfies are pointless. Millions of people carry around phones stocked with hundreds of pictures of their own faces. Just think about that for a moment. And do any of them actually go back and scroll through those pictures, reminiscing about how their faces looked? “Yep, that’s my face at Disney World. There’s my face at Applebee’s. I remember that. I’ll never forget the time my face went to Applebee’s. And wow, there’s my face at grandma’s funeral.”
Is that what people do? Of course, I realize that they aren’t primarily taking pictures in order to store them away as keepsakes, but rather to post them on social media so that everyone else can see. That’s even more pointless. Nobody cares that you were at a Miranda Lambert concert. But if anyone does care, they would probably want to see a picture of Miranda Lambert up on stage. They don’t need to see you in the stands.
Recently I saw a picture a guy posted of himself visiting the pyramids in Egypt. The picture was a selfie with a pyramid in the background, posted to social media for all to enjoy. But if the rest of us want to see a picture from your vacation at all — and we don’t — we’d rather see the pyramids without your face crowding up the frame. How egotistical do you have to be to think that these magnificent three thousand-year-old structures can be improved by adding your face to them?
This is the real tragedy of selfie culture. It encourages you to experience life with your back turned to it, putting yourself at the center of something you aren’t even paying attention to. Our obsession with documenting everything we do — and worse, documenting ourselves doing it, rather than documenting the thing itself — has ironically made it so that we miss out on the very things we are documenting. This is a familiar observation, even cliched, but it’s true. We are so obsessed with creating digital proof that we were there, that we aren’t really there at all.
We need to learn how to simply occupy the space that we are standing in, existing in, and absorbing each present moment as it comes. Personally, I would never go to a Miranda Lambert concert, but if you do go, if you buy the tickets, if you spend the money — too much money — to have that experience, then HAVE that experience. Be there for it, which means not being on your phone.
Now you might argue that taking one quick selfie, while a pointless act, is not going to significantly intrude on your or anyone else’s ability to enjoy the moment. But we all know that these girls were not taking one quick selfie. They were taking a series of shots from different angles, they were posting to Instagram, they were doing little videos for TikTok, then they were taking more selfies, and on and on. I wasn’t there, but I know just from looking at that woman and listening to her speak for five seconds that this is the way it goes.
Even if I’m wrong, even if it was just one brief selfie incident, I would still defend Lambert’s response. What you have to understand is that some of us have grown exhausted with all of this — with the fact that people can’t look up from their phones, with the constant need to document and take pictures and videos — and so we react in what some might consider disproportionate ways when someone pulls out a phone or takes a picture.
My wife will tell you that I have only grown more and more resistant to being involved in any picture or selfie activity as time has gone on. It’s not that I flat-out refuse to be in a picture, or even to take one on occasion. In fact, I just took a picture a few days ago of a nice bass that I caught. It was probably about six pounds. Obviously, I’m going to get a picture of that. Actually, most of the pictures in my phone aren’t photos of my own face but are photos of various fish that I’ve caught. That’s different, though, because I need documentation of these behemoths that I’m landing, or else nobody will believe me.
Anyway, aside from these exceptions, generally I am resistant to posing for pictures or selfies, much to my wife’s chagrin. But my point to her is that we don’t need photographic evidence of every moment. It is good enough that we live those moments, immerse ourselves in them, and hold the memories in our hearts, as people have always done. We don’t need any more selfies. Nobody does.
We need to put down the phone and turn our gaze back upon this great wild world, and these wonderful experiences that are so much larger than a screen, if only we would look up and see it. And yes I will give this whole speech rather than stop for five seconds stop to take a picture. Someone has to take this stand. I am glad to see that I am not totally alone.
Which is why Miranda Lambert certainly is not wrong. Instead, it is the perpetual selfie-takers who are, with a vengeance, quite wrong.

Matt Walsh 5 (1)

You Do Not Need To Take A Picture Of Every Single Thing You Experience In Your Life

Country Music

Culture

Matt Walsh

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