It’s phones. Phones are a major problem that no one is willing or able to combat. Schools gave up on trying to ban them because the parents pitch a fit and go to the school board to insist they need to be able to contact their children at all times.

I asked a colleague yesterday if his daughter—who was an avid reader just a few years ago—had checked out the Libby app yet and he said she barely reads now… because she got a cellphone.*

Until we are willing to break ourselves and our children of this addiction education will continue to decline.

*I am aware there is a certain irony in me complaining about cellphones and also recommending an app that is meant to be accessed via cellphone/tablet, but the point still stands!