Cultural Update: Smartphone Ban Outcomes; The Rise of Teen Takeovers; Abortion Pills & Access; The Speed of the Expanding Universe

About this episode

Scott and Sean discuss the outcomes of smartphone bans in schools, the rise of teen gatherings, and issues surrounding abortion pills and access.

Smartphone Bans in Schools: Scott and Sean discuss a new large-scale study revealing that while banning phones hasn't significantly boosted test scores, it has notably increased students' sense of well-being and encouraged more face-to-face social interaction. "Teen Takeovers": Cities are seeing a rise in spontaneous, large-scale youth gatherings organized via social media, leading to discussions on how to provide safe spaces for teens to socialize during the summer. Abortion Pill...

People in this episode

Hosts: Scott, Sean

Topics covered

• Smartphone bans
• Teen gatherings
• Abortion access
• Youth well-being
• Social interaction
• Education outcomes
• Community safety

Keywords

• smartphone ban
• teen takeovers
• abortion pills
• student well-being
• social media
• face-to-face interaction
• education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Biola University, Talbot School of Theology

Products: Abortion Pills

More episodes of Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

• Weekly Cultural Update: Peter Singer critiques the Pope; The Neurobiology of Fatherhood; Gene Editing; Gen Z Men Resisting Temptation · June 12, 2026 · 1h 1m
• The Desecration of Man (With Carl Trueman) · June 9, 2026 · 48 min
• Cultural Update: Rethinking Just War; Screen-Free Summer; Separation of Church and State · June 5, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Moral Choices (With Scott Rae) · June 2, 2026 · 43 min
• Cultural Update: Pope's Encyclical on AI; Research on Politics in Church; Texas Creates Clinic for De-transitioners · May 29, 2026 · 59 min
• When God Seems Distant (With Kyle Strobel) · May 26, 2026 · 43 min