Elyse Thulin

In the News

Michigan students head back to school as concerns over screen time grow

Sep 15, 2026 The 'Gander

As Michigan schools roll out new limits on phone use, educators and researchers are raising concerns about how social media and excessive screen time can affect students’ focus and well-being—and whether new safeguards from Big Tech will go far enoug...

Teenager looking at a phone by the windows

In the News

After Michigan school cell phone ban, most districts haven't...

Jun 5, 2026 Detroit Free Press

Many Michigan districts already have cellphone policies, but the new law creates an opportunity to look at which policies best support student well-being and academic success.

Student looking at cell phone while sitting with a backpack in front of lockers

News

What happens when schools restrict phones? U-M Youth Policy Lab convenes national conference as new studies get underway

Apr 16, 2026

On April 10, the University of Michigan's Youth Policy Lab (YPL) convened a National School Cell Phone Policy Conference, inviting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from Michigan and beyond to compare notes on a rapidly changing school pol...

What happens when schools restrict phones? U-M Youth Policy Lab convenes national conference as new studies get underway

Report

Michigan School Cellphone Policy Study: Landscape Analysis

May 12, 2026

Brian Jacob, Justin Heinze, Elyse Thulin, Triana Kazaleh Sirdenis, Rukmini Nallamothu, Giuliana Cusumano

As part of a larger CDC-funded project focused on cellphone policies and health, the University of Michigan research team led by Dr. Brian Jacob, Dr. Justin Heinze, and Dr. Elyse Thulin, collected data on existing cellphone policies in the 2025/2026 ...

Student looking at a cell phone while sitting at a desk surrounded by other students in a classroom