Ripple Effects of Unplugging

We hope you have enjoyed our series of emails leading up to the Global Day of Unplugging on March 6-7, 2026. We cant wait for the worldwide, 24-hour digital pause that starts TONIGHT! Join us by powering down your devices and powering up your real-life connections. You can unplug for one hour or the full 24, solo or with others, quietly or out loud! However you do it, just do it with other people and without technology. To learn more about this annual event, click HERE to visit the website and read about the mission behind the event.

To finish up our series, we wanted to highlight the changes that have happened over the past few years around technology and our daily lives. From "bell to bell" bans on cellphones in schools to the growing interest in age limits for social media, the list is growing. Below, we offer a look at some of the changes that have already happened and highlight those that may be coming.

School Cellphone Bans

Across the US, many school districts have adopted "Bell to Bell" cellphone bans for grades K-12. The goal of the bans is to remove smart phones, smart watches and other forms of distraction from classrooms. Despite a few grumbles, the move has been met with much positivity.

In Wilton, which was one of the first towns in the nation to institute a ban, they saw notable positive changes within a year:

• Decreased anxiety, with a drop in kids needing to leave class to go to counselors for mental health support.
• Increased talking, smiling, eye contact, and social interaction in the halls, cafeteria, and the classroom.
• A significant drop in investigations for cyberbullying to a quarter of the pre-ban levels.
• A culture shift where people, not phones, were the focus.

In New York City, which rolled out a K-12 cellphone ban last fall, the change went "better than expected".

And while the move is specifically targeted at K-12 students, College students are also seeing benefits from putting their phones away. One college professor chronicled the impact on his undergraduate M.B.A. students when he had them put away their phones for a semester in the following New York Times Opinion Piece. (Spoiler Alert: it was very positive!)

Social Media Age Limits

This past December, Australia became the first country in the world to implement an age limit of 16 for social media use. Since the Australians started this conversation, 5 more countries have passed similar laws and 11 more have started conversations about it with Spain being the most recent.

Click HERE to read more about the details behind each countries stance on Social Media bans in Reuters.

In the U.S., Florida says it has started enforcing a ban on social-media use under age 14, and some states, including California and New York, have passed legislation requiring warning labels detailing potential harms to children and adolescents from social-media apps. While the US has lagged other countries in this area, click HERE to read a CNBC article on why some think it is only a matter of time before the US implements a similar age limit for Social Media.

Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial

In January 2026, a trial started which argues that social media companies knew about the addictive qualities built into their platforms before launching them. This is the first case of its kind to go to jury trial and is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Click HERE to read more about the background for this trial and similar cases that are forthcoming on Wired.com. Additionally, Jonathan Haidt recently appeared on CBS News to talk about the trial and lend his perspective to the recent testimony.

Regardless of the trial's outcome, over 350 families have filed similar cases that are expected to go to trial in the next few years. There are many similarities between the approach of these cases and the lawsuits that tobacco companies faced several decades ago and could result in similar outcomes for the social media platforms.

We hope you enjoyed hearing about the positive outcomes that are happening around the world from resetting our relationship with technology. They are a great reminder of why this weekend's celebration of the Annual Global Day of Unplugging is so important. Let's all look forward to celebrating this Friday into Saturday, March 6-7, 2026 with a 24-hour digital pause together! To learn more about this annual event, click HERE to visit the website and read about the mission behind the event.

Help New Canaan Unplug

If you are interested in creating a healthier relationship with technology for our children, please check out our survey HERE to let us know how you can help.

New Canaan Unplugged is a parent-run group completely independent from the New Canaan Public School System and the Town of New Canaan.