Cell Phone Proximity and Grades

University of Pennsylvania Psychology professor Angela Duckworth has some great advice for parents that comes from the fruit of her research. Duckworth has been studying self-control in teenagers for several decades, and she has found that cell phones are now the single most potent temptation for adolescents. She has found that teens who keep their cell phone next to them with their screen and sound turned on while studying, get lower grades on their report cards than teens who keep their cell phone in another room while doing homework. In addition, grades are higher for those who put the phone out of sight, or who keep the screen and sound off. Duckworth recommends that parents assist their teens by implementing strategies for what is called “situation modification.” This involves taking intentional steps to change one’s physical surroundings to make it easier to resist temptation. In other words, remove the temptation. Parents, help your kids flourish on this digital frontier.