To support and continue the work of our Public Health and American Well-Being Initiative, Paragon Health Institute invites research proposals on the impact of smartphones and other digital devices on child development, focus, learning, relationships, and schools—including classroom discipline and teacher retention.

The wise use of digital technology holds promise for enhancing education and connectivity, but an emerging scientific consensus now documents the adverse consequences of smartphone and social media use—particularly for children and adolescents. These harms include diminished attention spans, impaired social and emotional development, disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, and poorer mental health outcomes.

This evidence has driven a sea change in public opinion, as well as in legislation spreading across the US and other countries to ban smartphones in schools from “bell to bell” (including sequestration of devices during this time).  Our aim is to support research that helps inform these policymaking efforts.

In particular, we seek:

• Rigorous research on the impact of smartphones and other digital devices on child and young adult physical and mental health, educational outcomes, and school environments.
• Evidence-based policy solutions that promote the wise use of technology in youth learning and development, reduce unnecessary distractions and costs in schools, empower parents and educators, and foster better alternatives such as paper-based learning and human-centered assessment.

Potential topics:

• The academic impact of experiments and policies that remove screens from classrooms in the U.S. and internationally, including primary, secondary, and college.
• Broader effects of smartphones, digital devices, and social media on childhood and young adult development, peer relationships, family dynamics, physical activity, mental health, and sleep patterns.
• Evaluation of state-level “bell-to-bell” smartphone policies, including their effects on academic achievement, mental health, disciplinary incidents, and equity across demographic groups.
• Market-based or parent-empowering approaches to digital technology use, such as tools, incentives, or school-choice mechanisms that support healthier technology habits without government mandates.

Submission guidelines:

• Proposals should be succinct (approximately 200-500 words)
• Explain how this proposed research would contribute to the policy debate
• If the research involves original empirical work, describe the data and methods you intend to use
• Provide an estimate of how much time you would need to deliver a complete draft and an estimate of any funding needs (e.g., purchasing datasets, conducting surveys, or accessing specialized data sources).

Please e-mail submissions to Liam Sigaud at [email protected] with subject line: “Paragon research proposal submission.”