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Fifth Graders Embrace Library Life, Delay Smartphone Use

1/21/2026

38 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

In New Jersey, fifth graders Joy Wyatt and Emerson Kari study at their local library without smartphones.
Joy Wyatt does not own a phone and relies on the library for communication.
They participate in The Balance Project, a nonprofit promoting delayed smartphone use among children.
Educator Bethany Barton emphasizes teaching children about the brain's response to technology, aligning with new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Story summary

In New Jersey, fifth graders Joy Wyatt and Emerson Kari study at their local library without smartphones.
Joy Wyatt does not own a phone and relies on the library for communication.
They participate in The Balance Project, a nonprofit promoting delayed smartphone use among children.
Educator Bethany Barton emphasizes teaching children about the brain's response to technology, aligning with new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.