Do Not Disturb: Cellphone Ban Expands to US Schools

Cellphone bans are becoming increasingly common in American schools, with many states introducing restrictions on children having devices on them during school hours.

The debate about phones in schools has been raging since they became a part of everyday life in the mid-2000s. You’d be hard-pressed to find many American teens who don’t own a device, and parents typically give their children their own phones when they’re 13, according to research from Prodigy Education.

That doesn’t mean they can use them whenever they want. Nationwide, about 76 percent of schools have banned non-academic phone use for the 2021-2022 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Policy decisions about phones are often made by a school or its district. But now senior lawmakers are advocating — and actually implementing — policies that limit how much, if anything, America’s young people can use their devices on school grounds.

“On the one hand, cell phones give students immediate access to educational resources, which promotes more independent learning,” said Dr. Isha Metzger, an assistant professor at Georgia State University who studies adolescent mental health. Newsweek“Phones allow students to stay in touch with their parents, which can reduce anxiety, especially for younger students or those with emotional or health issues.”

But how much kids are using their devices during school hours is a concern. “Increasingly, schools are sounding the alarm that their students simply can’t look away or disconnect from their personal devices,” said Shelley Pasnik, senior vice president of the global nonprofit Education Development Center Newsweek“Moreover, students appear to be less able to engage with each other in ways that are fundamental to their health and well-being.”

Which states have the policy in place?

According to Education Week, at least 13 states have passed laws or implemented policies that ban or restrict student phone use in schools, either at the state level or by recommending that local districts implement their own bans or restrictive policies. Three states have state policies that limit student access to their phones during school hours: Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana. Virginia, Ohio, Minnesota, and Indiana require school districts to implement policies that limit children’s phone use in school, while others either recommend it or offer incentives if policies are implemented.

Florida has led the way in restricting phone use, with its policy restricting the use of “wireless communications devices” during classes taking effect in summer 2023. Twelve other states signed or implemented policies this year.

In August, California Governor Gavin Newsom called on all schools in the state to immediately restrict cellphone use in classrooms.

“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning and growth,” he said in a letter to schools ahead of the new academic year. “Working together, educators, administrators and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions of phones and the pressures of social media.”

Why have restrictions on phone use been tightened?

There are many concerns about phone use in schools, and some of those views are shared by senior U.S. officials. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said earlier this year that devices in schools could impact learning and mental health.

“You have a situation where kids are not only trying to learn, but they’re also on their phones, texting their friends, responding to social media, scrolling through their feeds,” he said. “That makes it very difficult not only to learn, but it also makes it very difficult to build relationships and friendships at school.”

In schools, teachers are largely behind the restrictions. According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a serious problem.

According to a recent Prodigy Game survey of 800 American parents and 200 teachers, teachers are now being forced to punish students for using their phones five times a week, and 46 percent said they had been forced to confiscate a student’s device. More than three-quarters — 81 percent — of teachers believe the ban will lead to improved student academic performance.

Of the top concerns of parents surveyed, the vast majority (77 percent) said removing phones from classrooms would improve student academic performance. Sixty-six percent said they believed bans would improve their children’s mental health, while 67 percent said they believed they would improve behavior.

Make learning easier – or not?

While some believe phones should be banned altogether, others believe these devices are simply not being used for the right reasons.

Experts Explained Newsweek that when used correctly, students can use their phones for much more than just social media or messaging with friends.

Dr. Eric Alcera, Physician-in-Chief of Hackensack Meridian Behavioral Health Technology, said: Newsweek that having a smartphone on hand gives children “access to educational resources and the ability to quickly check facts” and helps “increase digital competences, which is important in the face of increasing global dependence on technology.”

Safety was also a major concern for experts, especially given the frequency of school shootings in America. “Safety is paramount for parents and children, and our current climate of gun violence, war, and political division has only increased anxiety among families, and parental ‘safetyism’ has challenged school officials to develop policies that some may perceive as favoring education over safety,” Alcera continued. “In addition, children can now use phones for health purposes, such as apps to monitor common pediatric conditions like asthma, diabetes, migraines, and obesity.”

Metzger sees both sides — the concerns of students and parents, especially when it comes to physical safety and mental well-being, are also important. She said phones “play a critical role in feeling personal safety” and allow students to communicate quickly in emergencies.

“This can be particularly reassuring for both parents and students, especially in the current climate where school safety is a concern,” Metzger said. “For students struggling with mental health issues or chronic health conditions, mindfulness, anxiety management, or medical monitoring apps are valuable tools.”

But with the whole world at your fingertips, it’s easy to get distracted.

“Cell phones can become a significant distraction, taking away from teachers’ attention, lowering academic performance and contributing to cognitive overload,” Metzger said. “In addition, social media use on phones often leads to social comparisons, which in terms of mental health can contribute to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem among students. Cyberbullying also contributes to mental health issues such as stress, isolation and even trauma in extreme cases.”

Prodigy Education also found that there is concern about resistance to phone bans. Of the parents and teachers surveyed, 63 percent said they were concerned about bans making it harder to contact students in emergencies. Forty percent said they were concerned about student backlash, and 33 percent were also concerned about backlash from parents.

Experts we spoke to Newsweek were almost unanimous in their belief that children should be taught how to use devices so that they are helped rather than hindered.

“Children need to learn how to use their cell phones and social media responsibly, ideally before they enter high school,” Alcera said. “Technology can be positive if children develop an informed and healthy understanding and perspective.”