By India McCarty
Looking for ways to keep your kids off screens during the summer? One expert is sharing his No. 1 tip to unplug.
“We are all aware of the way that these devices and these platforms have affected our mental health, our attention span, and the effect on kids, especially in the classroom, is dramatic and profound,” Greyson Gee, a tech analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Fox News.
He continued, “This summer, naturally, kids will have more of an opportunity to have uninterrupted screen time, and parents will naturally be looking for ways to unplug their kids.”
Gee’s main tip? Making use of the tools that many social media platforms already have built in.
“Use the opportunities and the tools that are built into the platforms….to ensure that screen time is appropriately limited as the parents see fit,” he explained, adding, “Get your kid outside. It will make a world of difference.”
Texas recently passed a bill that bans cellphones in schools, which Gee celebrated by reposting an X post from the state’s Governor Greg Abbott.
“Texas is focused on becoming #1 in education,” Gov. Abbott wrote. “I signed a law to prohibit cell phone usage in Texas public schools during the school day. Texas will continue to support productive learning environments by eliminating unnecessary distractions.”
Texas is focused on becoming #1 in education.
I signed a law to prohibit cell phone usage in Texas public schools during the school day.
Texas will continue to support productive learning environments by eliminating unnecessary distractions. https://t.co/HSxxAm2IUS
Related: How to Limit Screen Time This Summer
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 24, 2025
Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Austin, who authored the bill, HB 1481, called school phone use a growing “addiction crisis,” writing on Facebook, “Limiting the addictive distraction of cell phones in classrooms is common sense. Our kids are suffering, both in their mental health & academic performance.”
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said in a statement about the bill’s passage, “This bill is probably one of the most important bills we’re going to pass this session, because this literally can free up a whole generation of students.”
“While nothing will completely inoculate our kids from harm, HB 1481 does take positive steps to mitigate online harm and will ensure our students are focused on learning and not distracted by their devices for six to seven hours a day,” Anti-bullying organization David’s Legacy Foundation co-founder Maurine Molak said. “That will truly be a gift.”
This summer is the perfect time for parents to give their kids some time to unplug and, for Texas families, get used to no longer having access to their phones during the school day.
Read Next: Will This State Ban Phones In Schools?
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