‘Students will benefit from fewer distractions in the classroom’: Pinterest CEO supports phone-free schools

BY Eve Upton-Clark1 minute read

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Pinterest’s CEO wants teens to use their app, but not during school hours.

Bill Ready has joined the growing chorus of parents, educators, and policymakers advocating for “phone-free schools.” A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cellphone distractions as a major problem. “It’s so objectively clear that students will benefit from fewer distractions in the classroom,” Ready said during a recent interview. “It will benefit their learning.”

While in some ways surprising for a social media CEO, since Ready took the helm nearly three years ago, he has worked to position Pinterest as a tech company prioritizing online safety for young users. Under his leadership, Pinterest has called for stronger protections, including a national digital ID system to verify users’ ages and support for the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require platforms to take “reasonable” steps to safeguard minors from harm.

Read the full article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/91266224/students-will-benefit-from-fewer-distractions-in-the-classroom-pinterest-ceo-supports-phone-free-schools