The US states are hoping to ban students from using cell phones in schools, marking a new chapter in the long-standing debate over mobile device supervision for children.
With an increasing number of states and schools in the US recognizing the addictive nature of children’s phone use, as well as the potential harm cell phones can pose to children’s education and mental health, the trend of prohibiting students from using phones while at school is gaining momentum.
A study published in 2019 found that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media are at twice the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
New York and California, the two most populous states in the US, are considering enacting new statewide policies on this issue.
Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom called for a ban on using cell phones in classrooms and expressed plans to work with legislators to implement such a policy. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul is also contemplating similar legislation.
In the spring of this year, the governor of Indiana signed a classroom ban, prohibiting students from using cell phones at school, which will take effect in the fall.
States like Maine and Virginia are also in the process of implementing stricter rules on cell phone usage in individual school districts.
Leading the way is Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who last year passed a ban prohibiting students from using phones and accessing social media during class time.
The latest school district to announce a ban on students using cell phones at school is the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the US.
Most US schools have some form of cell phone policy. According to data from the US Department of Education, approximately 76% of schools prohibited cell phone use for non-academic purposes during the 2021-2022 school year.
The current wave of school bans on cell phones is related to the heightened concerns over teenage mental health issues following the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also a rare issue where both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in control of states are pushing for similar policies.
On Monday, US health officials called for warning labels similar to those on cigarette packages to be posted on social media platforms.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy believes that social media increases the risk of children experiencing anxiety and depression.
He stated that children texting friends, replying to messages on social media, and browsing social media feeds while in class not only makes learning very difficult but also hinders building interpersonal relationships and friendships at school.
Jackie Goldberg, chair of the Los Angeles School Board, stated during a public hearing that she recently visited a local high school where students were sitting face-to-face at lunch tables but none of them were willing to lift their heads to converse, as everyone was engrossed in their phones, engaging in messaging activities.
“This is a serious addiction that is eroding our children,” Goldberg said at the meeting. “To prevent students from further addiction, at least from the time they enter school to the time they leave, they should not be allowed to use phones.”
The debate over students using cell phones in schools in the US has been almost as longstanding as the presence of cell phones themselves and has sparked significant controversy.
Since the 1980s, the US has made various attempts to ban communication devices in classrooms. Initially, concerns were on phones potentially distracting students and the possibility of accidental exposure to drug deals through phones.
However, the shooting incident at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, which resulted in the deaths of 13 people, prompted some parents and schools to reconsider the role of phones as critical communication tools in emergencies. States subsequently relaxed such regulations, including California, which repealed the cell phone ban in 2002.
After the online schooling during COVID-19 and the impact of social media, particularly short videos, on students, schools have realized that electronic devices are increasingly distracting students, contributing to cyberbullying, and may serve as a means for students to cheat on assignments, reigniting debates on banning student cell phone use.
A primary school teacher who has been teaching in New York public schools for 28 years told Epoch Times that phones have seriously impacted classroom teaching. Children are obsessed with mimicking TikTok influencers and are reluctant to spend time on homework. She added that she understands the need for children to stay connected with parents through phones, especially during certain critical moments.
Schools have been striving to strike a balance between safety and curbing social media temptations.
Concerning parents’ worries, like the inability to contact children in emergencies, Los Angeles School Board member Nick Melvoin suggested that schools could establish communication channels managed by adults to ensure clearer and more accurate message transmission, alleviating parental anxiety.
Compared to state or city-wide school cell phone bans, the policies set by school districts or even individual schools are more crucial.
Ken Trump, director of the US National School Safety and Security Services, stated that without strong community consensus and consistent enforcement, policies would not be effective.
“This is much more complicated than ordinary parents or other observers imagine. It’s a thorny issue with many complexities,” Ken Trump said.
In Los Angeles, school board members voted on Tuesday to ban the use of these electronic devices during class time starting in 2025. However, how this policy will be implemented remains unclear.
A Los Angeles high school student, Thakkar, told Epoch Times that this ban is likely to face opposition from students when enforced.
He hopes that the school board will establish a platform for students to express their opinions to facilitate mutual communication.
“I support the idea of banning the use of phones. I know phones are very detrimental to mental health, and I see everyone distracted by phones in class,” he said. “I myself get distracted by the phone during classes.”
Thakkar added, “The proposal to ban phone use during school hours is entirely within the district’s jurisdiction and is reasonable.”