Dr. Willough Jenkins, apediatric psychiatrist at Rady Children’s Hospital and UC San Diego, told Fox News Digital that she generally sees a lot of negative effects of phone usage among children and teens. "It's not black and white — [it's] quite a nuanced discussion, because not all children struggle with phone use," she said. "But for those who do, we certainly are seeing the impacts in our mental health clinics and within psychiatry."

“Kids no longer have the opportunity to just be kids,” said Nick Melvoin, the LAUSD school board member who authored a resolution calling for the policy. “I’m hoping this resolution will help students not only focus in class, but also give them a chance to interact and engage more with each other — and just be kids.”

But the phone crackdowns illustrate a larger issue. Technology rules and safeguards in schools often lag far behind student use and abuse of digital tools. And it’s not just phones — school-issued laptops, tablets and classroom apps can also become sources of distraction and bullying.

That’s why states are mounting a bipartisan effort to crack down on rampant student cellphone use. So far this year, at least eight states have passed laws, issued orders or adopted rules to curb phone use among students during school hours.

I want to stress that the problem with smartphones is not exclusively about shmutz. A smartphone is addictive even when not being used for shmutz. But for bachurim and men, that danger is always there and it is a short path to fall into deep, dark places.

Just like physical contaminants, spiritual ones are not always overtly discernible. But a Jewish woman, with her sensitivity and close attachment to Hashem, is capable of realizing what to allow into her home, and which inappropriate influences must be washed away.