Banning technology can look like a quick fix - it reduces distraction and reassures parents, but in the long run, it isn't a sustainable solution. In reality, it risks widening the digital divide. Students in schools that integrate tools, such as smartphones, will learn faster, adapt better, and move ahead, shaping them to thrive in the digital economy of tomorrow. 

In this episode, Dr Aaron Cheng, Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Innovation in the Department of Management at LSE, discusses the findings of his recent paper From Smartphones to Smart Students: Learning vs. Distraction Using Smartphones in the Classroom, which shows that when used correctly, smartphones can be useful tools that enhance learning rather than detract from it.

Banning smartphones ignores the reality that they are already central to students’ daily lives. Used wisely, smartphones can foster real-time collaboration, instant access to information, personalised learning, and responsible digital citizenship — skills essential for the modern world. 

Dr Cheng's findings strongly advocate a balanced, practical approach to smartphone use in education. Instead of banning them, educators and policymakers should focus on turning these devices into structured, valuable learning opportunities. 

Dr Cheng studies the economics of digitisation and AI and their implications for sustainable business and society. Grounded in experimental and observational evidence, his research identifies causal effects and structural mechanisms by which digital innovation redistributes key inputs — time, space, attention, labour, and capital — and transforms individual choices and institutional dynamics.

In many professional communities, breaking the law can end your career. However, in some cases, such as the electronic dance music community, it can accelerate it.

In this episode, Dr Xu Li, Assistant Professor of Management, explores the findings of his latest paper 'When Breaking the Law Gets You the Job: Evidence from the Electronic Dance Music Community' which shows that under certain circumstances, lawbreakers not only go unpunished; they are actively rewarded.

Rather than being punished, the research shows that, surprisingly, some bootleggers are praised and offered more opportunities to perform live gigs than DJs who produce official remixes or original music. This points to a form of discretionary governance rooted in community norms and collective interpretations, where the intention behind law-breaking can determine whether the perpetrator is sanctioned or celebrated.

Dr Xu Li joined the Department of Management at LSE in 2023. Xu’s research lies at the intersection of organisational theory and strategy. He adopts mixed methods in research designs, utilizing not only quantitative analysis of archival or experimental data, but also qualitative evidence from field observations and interviews with industry insiders.

On Wednesday 11 June 2025 we celebrated twenty years since the publication of the impactful LSE Identity Project with an insightful public lecture reflecting on the lessons learned around the social study of identity systems in the intervening period.

June 2005 saw the launch of the LSE Identity Project report into the then Labour Government’s plans to introduce biometric identity cards in the UK.  The report played a prominent role in shaping parliamentary debates on the issue.  It also influenced public and media perceptions of the proposed scheme so much so that following the 2010 general election, the first bill of the incoming coalition government was to scrap the identity cards scheme.

In the intervening twenty years, academic research into the social study of identity systems has grown significantly and globally as more and more countries look to introduce some form of identity system, in part to address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9.

Academic research into the social study of identity systems continues to play a pivotal role in policy deliberation and practice around these systems.

This event provided an opportunity to look back on the lessons learned from the social study of identity systems and look forward to the role that academic research can play in the ongoing engagement in this important space at the intersection of policy and technology.

Our chair and speakers

Chair: Shirin Madon is Professor of Information Communication Technologies and Socioeconomic Development. Shirin's research centres on the topic of information and communication technologies for development and humanitarian aid and she is currently investigating the implications of digital innovation in the humanitarian sector with a focus on digital identity and cash assistance.

Edgar Whitley is Professor of Information Systems in the Department of Management at LSE. He was the research coordinator for the LSE Identity Project and was a frequent media commentator on the government’s proposals. Edgar has advised governments in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, Japan and Mexico about the political, technological and social challenges of effective identity policies. Alongside a range of academic publications in this space he has contributed to reports on identity issues for the World Bank, Omidyar Network, the Centre for Global Development and Women in Identity.

Gus Hosein is Executive Director of Privacy International and was project mentor for the original LSE Identity Project Report.  Gus has worked at the intersection of technology and human rights for over twenty-five years. He developed national, regional, and global campaigns on communications privacy and founded regional and global networks of civil society organisations to work on technology and rights. In 2018 Gus was awarded the International Champion of Privacy award by the Electronic Privacy Information Centre.

Reetika Khera is Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.  She is a development economist whose work focuses on social policy issues including hunger, nutrition, public health, corruption, and basic education in India. Reetika’s research has shaped several policy debates around India’s public services. 

Silvia Masiero is Associate Professor at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research operates within the area of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D), with a focus on the role of digital platforms in socio-economic development processes. She has conducted extensive work on the computerisation of India’s main food security programme, the Public Distribution System (PDS). 

What accounts for the different outcomes experienced across racial and political groups in the US in the face of a crisis?

Why, for example, was the decision to travel to work during the Covid-19 pandemic both racialised and politicised? 

In this episode, Professor Ryan Lamare, Professor of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management,  explores the findings of his latest research 'An Empirical Analysis of Race and Political Partisanship Effects on Workplace Mobility Patterns During Lockdown, Reopening, and Endemic COVID-19' to provide a unique and empirical picture of travel patterns at key points during the pandemic.

Exploring topics such as structural racism and political 'culture wars', Professor Lamare addresses the questions of what the causes of these polarised outcomes might be and how organisations and governments might go about mitigating negative outcomes for these communities and ensuring equity in workplaces. 

Professor Ryan Lamare joined the Department of Management at LSE in August 2024. Prior to joining LSE, he was the Reuben G. Soderstrom International Labour Relations Professor in the School of Labour and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has held previous positions at Penn State University, the University of Manchester, and the University of Limerick. He received his PhD in Industrial and Labour Relations from Cornell University.