Bill Gates: This book is a 'must-read' for parents—it calls for banning smartphones in schools

Bill Gates worries that kids today may miss out on a key advantage he had. The billionaire credits his successful career, in part, to having the freedom, and free time, in his youth to explore the world around him, to read and to think deeply without more modern distractions like smartphones and social media.

Today's kids spend less time outside, exploring and playing with friends, than previous generations, thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones and social media. 

That switch from a "play-based childhood" to one that's "phone-based" has triggered a cultural shift that's behind rising rates of mental health issues in younger generations, along with other negative effects on kids' ability to learn and socialize, according to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 2024 best-selling book "The Anxious Generation."

Gates called the book a "must-read" for anyone with young people in their lives in a December blog post. He questioned whether he would have developed some of the habits and skills that were "crucial to my success later on" if he'd grown up in a world where smartphones and social media were everywhere.

About 95% of U.S. teens have regular access to a smartphone today, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center study, up from just 23% in 2011 — and, the majority of them are active on social media. 

The result is more kids wiling away hours indoors scrolling through addictive apps, leaving much less time for free-play and socializing out of the house, says Zach Rausch, lead researcher to Haidt and an associate research scientist at NYU-Stern School of Business.

"There is just so much time being pulled by products that are intentionally designed to pull you in and keep you on there for as long as they can — and that has enormous implications," Rausch says. 

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned against the mental health risks of young people constantly using social media and smartphones, citing studies showing it can lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression. Haidt and Rausch also point to the effects on attention spans, with kids having difficulty focusing for long periods of time, whether it be in school or even when they need to sit down and read a book.

"We're constantly being pulled back to our devices through notifications [and] a whole world happening in our pockets throughout the school day, which then makes it really hard … to stay focused on something," Rausch says. "[It's] a serious issue that young people, in particular, have been growing up never experiencing what it's like to just sit and pay attention for a long period of time."

Social development tends to suffer when children are constantly on a device instead of interacting in person, research has shown.

"Kids are spending much less time being with each other, engaging with each other, which is crucial for social development," says Rausch, citing research showing the benefits of free play and in-person interactions, including increased creativity and resilience, as well as better developed social skills and conflict resolution. 

"It becomes much harder to [develop] those skills as you get older," he adds. "So what we're seeing is that kids are taking fewer risks. They feel more socially anxious, and generally it's harder to move from childhood and into adulthood."

To help today's youth develop those necessary skills, and to hopefully address one factor in the teen mental health crisis, Rausch and Haidt advocate for "four new norms" that parents should try to make smartphones and social media less of a ubiquitous presence in their kids' everyday lives. They are:

1. No smartphones for kids before high school, or age 14

Haidt and Raush suggests kids only have simple flip phones for texts and calls starting in middle school.

2. No social media before age 16

While most social media platforms set their minimum age requirements at 13, those can often be bypassed. Public health experts have made it clear that regular social media use by young people can affect brain development and increase mental health risks. 

"Unfettered access [to social media] should probably be delayed for as long as possible — certainly, until at least 16," Dr. Mitch Prinstein, a clinical psychologist who serves as the American Psychological Association's chief science officer, told CNBC Make It in 2023.

3. Ban smartphones in schools

The school day should be focused on "learning and paying attention," Rausch says. That's only possible if you eliminate the distraction of students being glued to their devices. That would have the benefit of blocking out several smartphone-free hours a day, which would promote focus and in-person socialization, he argues.

4. More free play and independence for kids of all ages

Refocusing on "play-based childhoods" can start at school, where Rausch notes that recess periods have been getting shorter. "Recess is critical for kids' development. Let's extend recess [and] give more independence during that time," he says.

Parents can encourage kids to explore phone-free activities that build their independence, Rausch says. It may sound daunting, but giving a nudge might actually be effective, considering that 38% of teens told the Pew Research Center that they believe they spend too much time on their phones. 

In 2017, Haidt co-founded an initiative called Let Grow that offers resources like research on the benefits of unstructured play, along with ideas and "assignments" that parents and schools can give to kids to encourage safe and independent activities without phones. That could mean a solo trip to the grocery store to pick up ingredients to bake something on their own, Rausch says.

"They go home and they do something on their own, without their parents, but with their parents' permission," Rausch says. "And what they often find is that this is an incredible way to help parents, especially, see that their child is much more capable of doing things out in the real world …. That really starts to open doors [and] makes the real world much more enticing and exciting for kids."

Want to up your AI skills and be more productive? Take CNBC's new online course How to Use AI to Be More Successful at Work. Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid. Pre-register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+ taxes and fees) through February 11, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.