Lawmakers are pushing to include a mandatory cellphone policy for Minnesota schools as part of the 2024 education policy bill. The bill is heading back to the Minnesota Senate after passing the House last week. The policy aims to curb student cellphone use in state high schools, citing a toxic culture around cellphones, distractions and deterring human interaction. DFL state Rep. Sandra Feist co-authored the bill after reading about how cellphones are severely affecting the development of children.

However, some teens are ahead of this bill. A small but growing number of young people have decided it's not worth it to have a smartphone. They’re taking control of their mental health and focus by ditching smartphones altogether. One of those young people is Leo Huppke, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota.

MPR News guest host Emily Bright spoke with both Feist and Huppke to hear about the ramifications of excessive cellphone use from both ends of the spectrum.