OnePlus is replacing its Alert Slider with, yes, an AI button

OnePlus has revealed its artificial intelligence plans for its devices, starting with the introduction of the Plus Key, which will replace the Alert Slider. The Plus Key, like its predecessor, is a physical button that users can customize to launch the camera, to initiate translations or to start recording. More importantly, it launches the new AI Plus Mind feature, which can record and recall information found on screen. When a user wants to take note of important information such as schedules, event details, reservations or listings, for instance, they can press the Plus Key to activate AI Plus Mind and save those details. (Take note that the feature can extract details from both images and texts.) Alternatively, they can swipe up on the screen with three fingers. 

What AI Plus Mind does is save relevant content to a dedicated Mind Space, where users can browse various information that they’ve saved. Users can then search for the detail they want to find using natural language queries. Both the Plus Key and the AI Plus Mind will debut on the OnePlus 13s in Asia. AI Plus Mind will roll out to the rest of the OnePlus 13 Series devices through a future software update, while all future OnePlus phone will come with the new physical key. Notably, the new button and feature bear similarities to Nothing’s physical Essential Key that can also save information inside the Essential Space app. Nothing was founded by Carl Pei who co-founded OnePlus.

The company is also developing several tools for the OnePlus AI, including AI VoiceScribe that enables users to “record, summarize and translate calls and meetings directly within popular messaging, video, and online meeting applications.” AI Translation will consolidate the brand’s translation capabilities via text, live voice, camera and screen into one app, sort of like Google Translate. AI Search will enable natural language queries to search for local files and notes. Meanwhile, AI Best Face 2.0, which is coming this summer, can correct issues like closed eyes in group photos. 

OnePlus
OnePlus

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/oneplus-is-replacing-its-alert-slider-with-yes-an-ai-button-130026087.html?src=rss

What’s New on Prime Video in June 2025

Amazon hasn’t yet released a full list of what’s coming to Prime Video in June, but we do know what original titles are slated to premiere throughout the month.

Prime original action comedy Deep Cover (June 12) has a stacked cast that includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, and Sean Bean. In the film, Howard plays an improv comedy teacher who recruits two of her students (played by Bloom and Mohammed) to infiltrate London’s gangs by pretending to be criminals.

Countdown (June 25) is a new crime thriller series from Chicago Fire showrunner Derek Haas. An LAPD detective is recruited to a secret task force to investigate the murder of a Department of Homeland Security officer. And We Were Liars (June 18) is a psychological thriller series based on the titular novel by E. Lockhart, the plot of which follows the wealthy Sinclair family and the events of summer on their private island.

Finally, there’s sports doc American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans (June 12), which chronicles the journey to bring the American stock car Chevrolet Camaro to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Here are the originals coming to Prime Video in June.

What’s coming to Prime Video in June 2025

Available June 12

  • American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans

  • Deep Cover

Available June 15

  • The Chosen: Last Supper

Available June 18

  • We Were Liars

Available June 23

  • Head Over Heels

Available June 25

  • Countdown

Available June 27

  • Marry My Husband

PlayStation VR2 Is $350 For Sony’s Days Of Play 2025 Sale

From tomorrow, PlayStation VR2 will be on sale for $350 for two weeks as part of Sony’s Days of Play 2025 sale.

That’s a $50 saving from the headset’s regular price of $400, which it was cut to in March from its $550 launch price.

The discount will be available on PlayStation Direct, as well as “participating retailers”. It will apply to both the regular package and the bundle that includes Horizon Call of the Mountain, which are for some reason the same price, so you should always grab the latter if it’s available.

Sony is also offering $50 off the PlayStation 5 Pro console, which upgrades the graphics of around a dozen PS VR2 titles.

Days of Play 2025 starts on May 28 and ends on June 11.

Hitman: World Of Assassination Trilogy (PS VR2) Review – A Redeemed Experience
IO Interactive took a few attempts to achieve its objective with Hitman: World of Assassination, out now on PS VR2.
UploadVROlly Smith

PlayStation VR2 has seen a steady stream of major titles arrive over the past year on PS5, including Metro Awakening, Alien: Rogue Incursion, Skydance’s Behemoth, and the exclusive new VR version of the Hitman: World Of Assassination Trilogy. Its new $400 price has seen developers report a noticeably larger player base, leading others to port their Quest titles to the platform, including recently Ghosts of Tabor and UNDERDOGS. And on PC, open-source developers have started working to bring the headset’s standout features like eye tracking and 10-bit color to SteamVR.

Developer Gets PlayStation VR2 Eye Tracking Working On PC
A software engineer managed to get PlayStation VR2’s eye tracking working on PC, though they caution that it’s currently “extremely WIP” and lacks calibration.
UploadVRDavid Heaney

So while PlayStation VR2 has been on sale for $350 before, this time around could be an even more enticing offer for PS5 and gaming PC owners alike.

Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake arrives on October 30

Square Enix is following up last year’s release of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake with the remade versions of the first two games in the franchise. In celebration of the original game’s release on May 27, 1986, the company has announced that the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake set is arriving on October 30 on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X|S and the PC via Steam. Chronologically, the first two games in the franchise take place after the events in the third game. It revolves around the hero who went on a journey to complete the quest started by their father, a legendary warrior, to defeat the demon lord Baramos. 

Dragon Quest 1 and 2 revolve around the descendants of that hero, who received the title of “Erdrick” after the events of the third game. Both games are turn-based RPGs, wherein players can control the actions of all the members of a party. They, like the other games in the franchise, feature character designs by Akira Toriyama, who’s mostly known for creating Dragon Ball. Players can expect high-definition 2D graphics, brand new major story additions, a refined battle system and other quality-of-life updates with the remake set.

The digital and physical versions of the Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake set are now available for pre-order for $60, except for the digital Switch and Switch 2 games that will be available at a later date. Pre-orders will come with free in-game items, but the Collector’s Edition will also come with digital wallpapers, six characters, a dog and two boss monsters. And for those who didn’t get the third game’s remake last year, Square Enix is releasing a digital-only Erdrick Trilogy Collection with all three games on the same day. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dragon-quest-1-and-2-hd-2d-remake-arrives-on-october-30-124540701.html?src=rss

PopSockets finally launches a vertical grip stand

Vertical videos have been a part of most people’s every day lives for years now. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and more are all in portrait mode, as is a typical video call off a smartphone. But it’s only now that PopSockets has caught up, releasing the Kick-Out Grip and Stand that can balance a phone vertically. 

The new model is part of PopSockets’ MagSafe line but, as the name suggests, includes a kick stand that folds out of the traditional socket. All a person needs to do is flatten the grip and then pop out the top bit. It will fold down and serve as a light stand for the phone to rest on. 

PopSockets has launched the Kick-Out Grip and Stand in Black, Latte, Dusk and Putty, along with two Aluminum Radial options, French Navy and Silver. It retails for $40 and should work with any MagSafe compatible case, swappable PopTop or PopMount currently sold. However, it also comes with an adapter ring so it should work with almost any case. 

The new Kick-Out Grip and Stand feels like a small update but, if you’re anything like me, it will stop water bottles, cups and other rogue phone props from constantly fall down. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/popsockets-finally-launches-a-vertical-grip-stand-123027346.html?src=rss

These Five Scams Are Targeting Recent College Grads

After the celebration ends, college graduates typically face numerous transitions, from moving to a new city and/or starting a new job to taking on student loan payments and other financial responsibilities. College students are often targeted for job scams, but the Better Business Bureau is alerting recent grads about schemes being employed specifically to steal their personal information and money during this transition period.

Unpaid tuition scam

Imagine getting a call after graduation that you have an outstanding tuition payment, and unless you pay the bill immediately, your diploma will be rescinded. Scammers are using this threat to con recent grads—who have, in fact, paid their full tuition—into sending money via wire transfer or prepaid debit card, which cannot be tracked or recovered. Another version of this scam attempts to convince college students (and/or their parents) that they owe tuition and need to pay immediately to ensure they remain enrolled.

If you receive an email, text, or call about an unpaid bill, do not engage—instead, contact your school’s bursar or financial services office directly. You will typically receive communication from higher education institutions by mail or via a secure student portal—not as an urgent message demanding money.

Student loan scams

Student loans have been targets for scammers for years—made easier by the starting and stopping of loan forgiveness programs—and recent college grads who are getting ready to make their first payments are common victims. You may get an unsolicited call, text, or email from a company offering debt relief or debt forgiveness services for a fee. In some cases, the company is legit but making false claims, and in others, the whole thing is a scam. They may ask for upfront payment, usually via gift card or wire transfer, and never deliver, or gather a bunch of personal information that can be used to steal your identity.

While the status of loan forgiveness can be difficult to follow, you should know the details of your loan, including when payments are due to begin, and look for official sources regarding loan forgiveness options.

Job scams

Employment scams range from fake job listings to unsolicited texts from “recruiters” offering a position while demanding personal information and payment for “training.” Recent grads may be promised an entry-level remote role at a completely unrealistic salary, and scammers collect everything from your Social Security number to your bank account information in exchange for the offer. Other schemes have you pay upfront for training or equipment you never receive (because the job isn’t real) or pay you too much with a fake check and ask for reimbursement via app or wire transfer.

No one is getting too-good-to-be-true jobs in this market. Always do your due diligence on companies before applying for a position or accepting an offer: Review the official website for contact information and job postings, and consider reaching out to HR or employees you locate independently to confirm that a position is legit. Don’t ever pay for anything up front.

Moving scams

The moving industry seems to be rife with scams, and recent grads who need to move across town or out of state are not immune. Moving companies may charge more money than was quoted and, in the worst cases, hold your stuff hostage unless you pay. Or they may simply not show after you’ve paid a deposit for the move.

Red flags for moving companies include estimates delivered quickly and with little information collected about your move, full payments demanded before the move, and non-refundable deposits paid via peer-to-peer apps and bank transfers (negating the protection of credit cards). Thoroughly research the company to understand how moving brokers operate, and make sure you get everything in writing.

Rental scams

If you make it through the actual move unscathed, you could still encounter a rental scam. As with job scams, these involve listings that sound too good to be true, with lots of amenities in a desired location at an affordable price. (Like job scams, most renters aren’t getting these deals in this market.) Fraudsters may even use real properties in their listings to lure you in. Once they have you, they collect a deposit, first month’s rent, and a bunch of personal information while leaving you with nowhere to live.

While you may pay your actual rent via Zelle, PayPal, or Venmo, you shouldn’t use these services to send a deposit for a rental you haven’t seen to a landlord you haven’t met. Search the listing on Zillow, Redfin, and other rental sites to look for inconsistencies that could indicate a scam. Verify the address, look at Google street view, and visit (or send someone you trust in your place) before paying any money if you can.

24 Nmap Commands Every Linux Admin Should Use for Network Security

Nmap, short for Network Mapper, is an open-source and highly versatile tool used by Linux system and network administrators. It is commonly employed for network exploration, security scanning, auditing, and detecting open ports on remote machines.

Nmap can identify live hosts, determine operating systems, detect packet filters, and reveal open ports running on remote systems.

The post 24 Nmap Commands Every Linux Admin Should Use for Network Security appeared first on Linux Today.

15 Basic Linux Interview Questions with Answers (Entry-Level)

Linux is one of the most widely used operating systems in both personal and enterprise environments. Whether you’re aiming to become a system administrator, DevOps engineer, software developer, or IT professional, having a solid foundation in Linux is essential.

To support your learning and interview preparation, we’re excited to introduce a dedicated Linux Interview section on Tecmint, which will feature carefully selected Linux interview questions, along with detailed answers to help you prepare with confidence.

Every weekend, we’ll publish a new article in this section, starting from basic Linux questions and gradually moving toward more advanced topics. This initiative is one of the first of its kind among Linux-focused websites, and we’re committed to delivering high-quality, useful, and unique content.

The post 15 Basic Linux Interview Questions with Answers (Entry-Level) appeared first on Linux Today.

25% iPhone Tariff Insufficient To Drive US Production Shift, Morgan Stanley Says

President Trump’s threat of a 25% tariff on smartphone imports including iPhones would not provide enough economic incentive for Apple to relocate US-bound iPhone production to domestic facilities, according to a new Morgan Stanley note viewed by Slashdot. The tariff threat, announced Friday via social media, appeared to target Apple’s recent shift of iPhone production from China to India through its contract manufacturing partners.

Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that establishing US iPhone production would require a minimum of two years and several billion dollars to build multiple greenfield assembly facilities, with a trained workforce exceeding 100,000 workers during peak seasons. More significantly, the firm calculates that a US-produced iPhone would cost 35% more than current China or India production, primarily due to higher labor costs and the need to import 25% of iPhone components from China under existing 30% tariffs. By contrast, Apple could offset a 25% import tariff by raising global iPhone prices just 4-6%, making domestic production economically unviable.


Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Nikon joins other camera manufacturers in raising prices due to tariffs

Nikon has announced that it will increase prices on its photography products in the US due to tariffs, joining other camera manufacturers including Canon, Blackmagic Design and Leica in doing so. It hasn’t yet shared which products will be affected, but several outlets have received word from dealers that the changes will mostly affect lenses and accessories manufactured in China. 

“Due to the recent tariffs, a necessary price adjustment for products will take effect on June 23, 2025,” the company wrote last week. “We will be carefully monitoring any tariff developments and may adjust pricing as necessary to reflect the evolving market conditions. We wish to thank our customers for their understanding and know that we are taking every possible step to minimize the impact on our community.”

The development comes from Trump‘s recent tariffs affecting electronic goods, with Nikon noting that the increase could cut its operating profit by around $68 million. Canon, the worldwide leader in camera sales, said in its earnings report last month that it would raise prices soon. Fujifilm recently paused US preorders for several models including the X-M5 and X100 VI. 

Other electronics companies, including Acer and DJI, also recently announced US-only price hikes. In its latest earnings report, Sony said it expects to seller fewer PS5s and expects a $700 million tariff-related revenue hit.

These increases could just be the beginning. Nikon builds its products in multiple countries affected by US tariffs, including China, Thailand and its home country, Japan. Unless those nations can negotiate new tariff terms before the end of Trump’s 90-day pause, they could be subject to drastically higher rates by July — which would in turn prices for Nikon and many other camera manufacturers. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/nikon-joins-other-camera-manufacturers-in-raising-prices-due-to-tariffs-120011854.html?src=rss

“Cityscapes” ZRacing Series Details

Zwift’s “ZRacing” is the platform’s most popular ongoing race series, and June’s races send riders through Zwift’s most popular urban routes.

Read on for details about this month’s race routes and more!

June’s Routes

Here are the routes we’ll be racing in June:

  • Stage 1 (June 2-8): Glasgow Crit Circuit
    • 6 laps (18.3km, 198m)
    • Powerups: Aero, Feather
  • Stage 2 (June 9-15): Park Perimeter Loop
    • 2 laps (19.9km, 254m elevation)
    • Powerups: Feather, Draft
  • Stage 3 (June 16-22): Richmond UCI Worlds
    • 1 lap (16.5km, 159m)
    • Powerups: Feather, Aero
  • Stage 4 (June 23-29): London 8
    • 1 lap (20.8km, 259m)
    • Powerups: Feather, Aero

See upcoming Range 1 “Cityscapes” events >
See upcoming Range 2 “Cityscapes” events >
See upcoming Advanced “Cityscapes” events >
See ALL upcoming “Cityscapes” events >

GC Leaderboards

Zwift debuted new web-based leaderboards at zwift.com for tracking the Zwift Games 2025 GC, and an upgraded version of those leaderboards is now being put to work for use in the monthly ZRacing series.

Access June’s leaderboard at zwift.com/racing/leagues/zracingjun2025 >

Your GC ranking is based on your best finishing time for each stage, and you can race each stage more than once to try for a better time.

Choose Your Category

Zwift schedules three different flavors of ZRacing events in order to encourage “Fairer, more competitive racing for everyone.” They each use different racing score ranges for categorization and are titled Advanced, Range 1, and Range 2. Click banners below to see upcoming events for each:

Get the Badge

Each month’s ZRacing series has a unique achievement badge, which you can unlock by finishing every stage for the month. There are no makeup events, so if you miss a stage, you miss out on the badge and competing in the GC.

One and Done

Zwift has planned these events to deliver a solid 1-hour workout, so each race should only take around 1 hour to complete, including your warmup and cooldown.

Questions or Comments?

Post below! 

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Galaxy S25 Edge

When I got an early look at Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, the first of a new supposed wave of thinner smartphones, it was easy to spot what I’d take issue with. But you know what? Those issues may not matter as much as I thought.

Engadget’s Sam Rutherford has put the device through its paces, and thankfully, the impressive battery life of the S25 series continues. Our rundown test lasted a minute shy of 26 hours. That’s less than other S25 phones with bigger batteries but roughly equal to Google’s Pixel 9 Pro.

TMA
Engadget

And while there’s no optical zoom, the substantial 200-megapixel main camera sensor can crop in a lot, offering some kind of zoom, even if image quality doesn’t match true telephoto cameras.

I’ve got the S25 Edge with me, and these compromises are fine. I also like it thinner. And lighter. I’ve suffered enough with Ultras and Pro Max phones. If anything, I wish the S25 Edge had a smaller screen, closer to the base S25, Pixel 9 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro.

The biggest weakness I didn’t note with the S25 Edge? The perennial curse of measuring devices in millimeters and fractions of an inch means your protective case will almost certainly add those millimeters back on.

— Mat Smith

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The news you might have missed


Summer Game Fest 2025 is almost here

What to expect and how to watch game reveals live.

TMA
SGF 2025

Sure, the Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here, but early June also means a whole host of gaming showcases as part of Summer Game Fest. Along with the two big events — Summer Game Fest Live and the Xbox Games Showcase — there are many others in store, including the always-delightful Day of the Devs. We’ll be there in person, and I’ll be flying out on Switch 2 launch day. So I won’t get to touch my Switch 2 until a week later. Bah.

We’ve pulled together all the livestream details revealed so far.

Continue reading.


Texas is getting ready to ban social media for anyone under 18

The bill still needs to pass a Senate vote.

TMA
Engadget

A bill banning social media for anyone under 18 recently moved past the Senate committee and is due for a vote in the Texas State Senate. If made into law, the bill would force social media platforms to verify the age of anyone setting up an account, like how Texas passed legislation requiring porn websites to implement an age verification system.

Texas’ social media ban also proposes letting parents delete their child’s social media account, which definitely won’t start blazing arguments in households across the state.

Continue reading.


What to expect at WWDC 2025

A new look, Apple Intelligence and more.

TMA
Apple

On June 9, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote will showcase the changes coming with its 2025 software. What can we expect besides new numbers after every flavor of Apple software? Apparently, a platform-wide visual overhaul. The revamp is said to be a dramatic change, drawing inspiration from Apple’s mixed reality headset. The aim is to integrate all the OSes to a singular design, so jumping from iPhone to iPad to Mac feels like different screens showing the same thing.

We could also see the iPad get even more Mac-like (thanks to those powerful M-series chips), Apple Intelligence delivering on those promises (Siri?) and more health coaching.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111525140.html?src=rss

Armbian 25.5 Adds New Board Support, Application Modules, and Receives Community Recognition

The Armbian team has released version 25.5, bringing expanded hardware compatibility, improved system tools, and a growing library of post-install application modules. The update also coincides with Armbian being recognized by NetBox Labs with a 2025 NetBox Hero Award for its role in open infrastructure innovation. New in Armbian v25.5 The latest release includes dozens […]

Beyond phone bans: Empowering students to critically navigate and reimagine technology

Amidst heated discussion of smartphones and their impacts on young people’s lives, it’s become a frequent recommendation to ban phones in schools. Below I summarise the research evidence on smartphone bans (it’s mixed) and share tips for computing educators on how to constructively address the topic with their learners and empower them to think critically about technology design.

Photo of a young person showing their mobile phone to a peer.

A turning tide

2024 was the year the tide turned against smartphones. Across the world, parents, teachers, and governments highlighted the risks of excessive phone use among young people. In the UK, the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ movement emerged, quickly growing to 100,000 members who advocate for keeping smartphones away from children due to concerns about addiction, harmful content, and mental health. Jonathan Haidt’s global bestseller The Anxious Generation has further fuelled the movement, linking smartphone use to adolescent mental health issues and recommending phonefree schools. Meanwhile, countries including England, France, and Finland have urged schools to adopt strict phone bans, hoping to reduce classroom distractions and enhance student safety.

Photo of a young person in a classroom showing their phone screen to their friends.

Despite widespread support, academic research on phone bans remains limited and inconclusive. Given this situation, computing educators are uniquely positioned to offer an alternative approach.

Evaluating evidence on phone bans 

The rapid spread of school smartphone bans is a straightforward response to complex issues around personal technology use in education. Teachers and parents frequently view phones as inherently disruptive, a perspective supported by studies that show phones can impair students’ focus and engagement in lessons. Concerns about cyberbullying and addiction contribute to this view, with many educators seeing bans as a practical solution to mitigate risks. Surveys in England reveal that nearly half of all secondary schools now enforce all-day bans. This trend was supported by teachers participating in my master’s degree research, who see these policies as necessary to reduce distractions and maintain control in the classroom. 

“Calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation.”

Yet calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation, limiting opportunities to examine both the benefits and the risks of smartphone use in schools. Evidence on the impact of phone restrictions is mixed: while some studies suggest restrictions may benefit learning, especially for students who struggle the most, others indicate no significant impact on academic outcomes. Additionally, recent findings show that cyberbullying is not directly linked to time spent online, with traditional bullying still more prevalent in schools. Even the narrative around smartphone addiction is contested, with some researchers suggesting that concerns about addiction may be overstated. And some places schools do not have access to digital devices for learners and then smartphones may play a crucial role in teaching and learning digital literacy skills.

Photo of four young people sitting at their desks, on their mobile phones.

As the debate over smartphone bans continues, educators have an opportunity to move beyond restrictions and engage students in understanding the technology that shapes their lives. This is where computing educators can really make a difference. How can they guide students to understand why technology is designed to capture attention and what lies behind these design choices?

Understanding and questioning the design of technology 

School smartphone bans can feel like a hopeless act that suggests phones and social media are inherently incompatible with learning and student well-being. This approach assumes the only solution is to remove them, rather than considering how these technologies might be better managed or reimagined to support young people. What if, instead of banning phones, educators worked with students to explore why they are so captivating and how they could be designed differently? Computing educators can lead this exploration. With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.

“With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.”

At the heart of how social media platforms are designed is their business models. Tech companies rely on features such as notifications, autoplay, and infinite scrolling to maximise user engagement and revenue. This is part of what the writer Shoshana Zuboff calls “surveillance capitalism”, where companies gather vast amounts of behavioural data by keeping users engaged on their platforms for as long as possible.

In the classroom, educators can open discussions with students on the motives behind technology design, exploring questions such as why platforms want users to stay engaged, and what data they are collecting. Activities might include analysing popular apps to identify which features encourage prolonged use, or debating how social media could be designed to prioritise user wellbeing. By critically examining these design choices, students can better understand the forces driving their digital interactions and consider ways in which technology could be reimagined to serve them, rather than just profiting from them. 

Collaborative policymaking 

Once young people understand why phones and social media are designed the way they are, educators can work with students to create phone policies that reflect shared values and goals. This collaborative approach encourages students to take ownership of their technology use, and computing teachers, drawing on their knowledge of technology design and digital literacy, are ideally positioned to facilitate these discussions.

Photo of three school pupils together looking at a mobile phone.

Research suggests that policies developed with student input are more effective, as they foster responsibility and engagement. By involving students in policymaking, educators can encourage them to consider how phones could support rather than hinder learning. For example, students might agree that phones should stay off during certain times, or in certain spaces, but that they might be useful in other scenarios where access benefits learning. This kind of flexibility ensures that phones are used thoughtfully, allowing for both practical boundaries and opportunities for educational use.

Critical skills for navigating the digital world

As debate around smartphone use in schools continues, academic research remains inconclusive on the effectiveness of phone bans. This uncertainty presents computing educators with an opportunity to move beyond restrictive policies and foster deeper understanding. By guiding students to explore why phones and social media are designed to capture attention, we can help to equip them with the critical skills needed to navigate their digital world thoughtfully. Involving students in crafting flexible, meaningful phone policies reinforces this understanding, giving them a sense of agency in shaping technology’s role in their lives.

Close up photo of a desk with school books, various coloured pens and a mobile phone in shot.

Computing educators are uniquely positioned to empower students, not just as users, but as active challengers of technology design norms. Embracing a collaborative approach allows computing educators to inspire students to envision a future where technology genuinely serves their growth and their learning, rather than commercial interests.

More on digital literacy for young people

A version of this article appears in the newest issue of Hello World magazine, which is all about teaching digital literacy. Explore issue 26 and download your free PDF copy today.

You can also listen to our recent Hello World podcast episode discussing the myth of the ‘digital native’ and whether today’s young people are tech-savvy or tech-dependent.

The post Beyond phone bans: Empowering students to critically navigate and reimagine technology appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.