Schools are for textbooks, not texting

It's time to ban phones in the classroom. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a magnetically sealed bag of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. Want to unlock more? We made this [free bundle]( for you. Today’s Agenda - Cell [phone bans]( are far too rare. - Trump and Biden [debate]( on air. - [Doug Burgum]( has the hair. - [Rich tourists]( are everywhere. Ahead of His Time Charli XCX recently [said]( “it’s really hard being ahead.” As someone who knew how to properly [pronounce]( Chappell Roan’s name in 2020, I fully agree. But sometimes, it’s not just hard being ahead, it’s literally against the law. Take this high school [science teacher](, for instance. In 2015, he got suspended without pay for five days after using a signal jammer to stop his students from using their cell phones in class: Now, I’m not saying his method was ideal; signal jammers are *still* [illegal]( in this country for [many](, [many]( [reasons](. Yet the problem he was trying to solve — kids sending Snapchats in science class — is still very much an issue. And unlike in 2015, lawmakers and parents finally seem to be [coming around]( to the idea that something must be done about it. Last week, the Los Angeles school district [voted]( to ban mobile-phone use during school days. Michael R. Bloomberg’s response? Finally! “Other districts should follow its lead, starting with the largest one in the country: New York City,” the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP [writes]( (free read). Now, you might recall that my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss was the mayor of that city for over a decade. Just like Charli XCX, he, too, was ahead of his time: “Two decades ago, our administration banned mobile phones in all public schools, despite the storm of protests it generated,” he writes. Although his successor chose to do away with the ban, bipartisan support for such policies has grown significantly since the aughts. In the years since Bloomberg left office, 41 states have [purchased]( $2.5 million worth of Yondr phone pouches — the magnetically sealed bag that schools often use to lock up cellular devices during the day. Just today, a group of [Atlanta-area schools]( announced that students will be required to store their phones and smartwatches in the pouches starting Aug. 1. “Teachers know all too well how disruptive phones are to learning, with 72% of high school teachers nationwide calling phone use a ‘major problem.’ No wonder: One [study]( found that 97% of teens use their phones during school hours, receiving a median of 237 push notifications a day. Much of that screen time consists of playing video games, browsing social media and watching pornography — not exactly the three R’s,” he writes. Banning such behavior is long overdue. Perhaps even Trump would [agree]( with the idea? In Washington, DC, this weekend, the former president said he hoped the US education system may some day resemble that of Norway, a nation where classroom [cell phone bans]( have been studied. It’s a [head-scratching]( endorsement, considering Norway has universal pre-K, tuition-free universities and generous teacher pay — all policies Trump wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole when he was in office. I have a hard time imagining he’ll change [his stance]( this time around, but that’s a debate for another time. A [Debate]( Between Geezers By “another time,” I mean Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern, when President Biden and his predecessor take the debate stage in Atlanta — the city of cellphone bans, CNN and [Coca-Cola](. Who will prevail? Certainly not Bobby Kennedy III’s [father](. But “the American experiment is at stake, and Biden, while an imperfect flag-bearer, must go all in,” Tim O’Brien [says]( (free read). Tim’s way with words never ceases to amaze me, so I’ll leave it to him to set the scene: “The slog that begins with Thursday’s debate is an existential battle. It features a well-meaning and rational geezer who has populated his administration with highly competent, proven and successful advisers capable of sizing up and embracing the world’s complexities, promises and dangers. Biden faces an unhinged and addled geezer who fancies flame-throwing and division, is a [twice-impeached]( convicted felon and [sexual predator]( freighted with [ongoing prosecutions]( for [electoral fraud]( and [misappropriation]( of classified documents, who also surrounds himself with unpredictable, dangerous and incompetent kooks intent on torching the Constitution.” But which one of those unpredictable, dangerous and incompetent kooks will become Trump’s vice president? That mystery remains [a major wildcard]( in this race. Word on the street is that Trump is going to hard-launch his running mate before next month’s Republican National Convention. One [name]( that keeps popping up on people’s VP short-lists is Doug Burgum, a little-known governor from North Dakota who has two things Trump desperately wants: A fat wallet and thick hair. Laying it on thick. Photographer: ALEX KENT/AFP Not only is the 67-year-old one of the [richest]( politicians in the country, he looks the part, too. Patricia Lopez [notes]( how “Trump also appears to connect with Burgum, perhaps in the way that only two rich, White businessmen can.” Plus, Burgum has been following the former president around like a puppy. “The two huddled over pizza in the court holding room at Trump’s New York [hush money trial](,” she writes, and Burgum was the opening act for Trump’s [rally]( in Wildwood, New Jersey. He [buttered]( up Trump as if he were a piece of toast, telling the crowd that working with the former president “was like having a beautiful breeze at your back.” While that may be true, the coming debate — and the election in November — will be anything but. Telltale Europe Charts There’s no way for me to ask this question politely, but I’ll do my best: Did anyone actually evacuate their bowels in the Seine? Over the weekend, my TikTok feed was populated with [videos]( about how residents were [staging]( “a mass defecation” in protest of ahead of the Olympics. It’s unclear whether people did the deed, but the vibes in Paris are bleak. And they’re set to get bleaker, if this Chris Bryant [column]( is any indication. “Wealthy Americans are again expected to [flock to Europe]( in droves this summer, where they’ll splash out on [pricey hotels](,” he writes. While this is great for the tourism industry, the locals will “look like poor relations, at least in purely financial terms.” Chris provides several metrics indicating Americans are doing better than their French counterparts. Sadly, treating a river like a giant latrine [isn’t one of them](. Not helping matters, [says]( Matthew Brooker, is Europe’s inadequate [housing]( supply and worsening affordability. “The cost and availability of shelter cause part of the economic anxiety that has been exploited by populist politicians, who have scapegoated immigrants for a squeeze that owes more to decades of underbuilding and restrictive planning policies,” he writes. In 2014, €2,700 a month could have paid for two nondetached houses in Lisbon. Now? You can’t even get one for that price. “It isn’t difficult to see how such a predicament can sow resentment and erode trust in mainstream political parties,” he argues. Further Reading By [excluding women]( at its upcoming conference, the UN has crossed a line. — Ruth Pollard The aftershocks of the Dobbs decision are still being felt in [unexpected places](. — Noah Feldman Average readers have no idea how to interpret the [complex jargon]( in scientific findings. — Abdullah Shihipar This poignant [father-and-son saga]( raises sharp questions about Chinese identity. — Howard Chua-Eoan The Bank of England is far from perfect, but it’s [doing better]( than its peers. — Mohamed A. El-Erian How can an ex-convict [land a job]( in the tech industry? Here’s a way. — Parmy Olson Nvidia is a great company, but is it [a great investment](? The future is murky. — Nir Kaissar Governments that [delay climate spending]( are shooting themselves in the foot. — Mark Gongloff ICYMI Buzzfeed is [struggling to sell]( the owner of Hot Ones. The world now [farms more fish]( than it catches. Uber [locks drivers]( out of its app during low-demand periods. Kickers [Gracie Abrams]( isn’t having a sad-girl summer. Victorian [lampshades]( are all the rage. Why do men like [sundresses]( so much? [Couches]( aren’t what they used to be. Taylor Swift [brought]( Travis Kelce onstage. Notes: Please send fancy [lampshades]( and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads](, [TikTok](, [Twitter](, [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. 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