It seems that one thing that many adults and children can agree on is that we love our smartphones. However, the question of whether young students should have access to their phones during class is contentious.
Already, some states have banned cell phones from class, and even more are considering their own bans.
One of those states is Michigan, where a bill was introduced last month that would ban students in kindergarten through fifth grade from bringing wireless communication devices on school grounds, according to Chalkbeat. Middle school students would be allowed to bring the devices to school but would be banned from using them and high school students would just be prohibited from using them during class.
Republican state Rep. Mark Tisdel wrote the bill. He believes it will improve student mental health, reduce bullying and help students stay focused on class work.
“At this time, I would be more inclined for districts to maintain local control,” said Wendy Zdeb, executive director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. “I see districts all over the state taking the action, but that doesn’t mean they all are.”
Last month, the Kaiser Family Foundation released an analysis of similar legislation across the country. It said cell phone bans began decades ago and that there has been a resurgence following two advisories from the U.S. Surgeon General on the youth mental health crisis and the harmful impacts of social media use, as well as recommendations from UNESCO.
“Unlike many recent political issues, school cell phone ban policies have largely received bipartisan support, and the Biden-Harris administration continues to promote online safety for youth,” said KFF. “At the same time, research on the effectiveness of cell phone bans is limited, and although multiple states are adopting these bans, challenges remain with enforcement, accommodating exceptions, and equity.”
Even adults have a hard time looking away from their phones. Survey results released last summer by Reviews.org found that Americans said they checked their phones 144 times per day, that 75% felt uneasy leaving their phone at home and that they spent more than four hours on their phone daily. Nearly 57% of the respondents said that they were addicted to their cell phones.
KFF said eight states had already passed state-wide policies restricting phone use in schools as of Oct. 3: California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. An example of a ban in action came this Monday, when Dixie County Middle High School in Florida announced that cell phones would no longer be permitted for use during school hours.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed his state’s Phone-Free School Act into law last month and schools must comply with it by July 2026. The legislation includes exceptions for medical necessity, emergencies, educational purposes, or with faculty permission. Dr. Nolan Higdon, professor of communication and history at Cal State East Bay and author of “Surveillance Education Navigating the Conspicuous Absence of Privacy in Schools,” joined Audacy station KCBS Radio to discuss the legislation.
“You know, these are clearly tools that people are using all the time. So, we definitely want to talk about them in the classroom and use them in the classroom,” said Higdon, offering a different view on cell phones in school. “But like any other tool, sometimes they’re… inappropriate. You know, take something else. Like music, for example, can be really helpful in the classroom, but you wouldn't want to be blaring music 24/7 in the classroom, very loud, so we couldn’t hear each other speak.”
Chalkbeat noted that there is a national debate about whether bans are the right way to deal with student cell phone use. Higson said that research shows some of the strongest opposition comes from parents, who are concerned about reaching their children in an era marked with concerns about pandemics, school shootings and more.
Look, I understand that. I really do,” said Jennifer Jolly, a tech life columnist for USA Today, in an interview with Audacy. “I think I think as a parent, you want to make sure your kids are either in sight or virtually in sight.”
Still, she also said that educators have made the point that phones have become a constant distraction.
In addition to Michigan, another state considering passing a statewide ban on cell phones in school is Kansas. There, a task force appointed by the Kansas Board of Education this month recommended a ban on cell phones in schools.
According to KFF, statewide legislation has also been introduced in at least 12 states, and seven states are currently operating pilot programs focused on cell phones in schools. In Pennsylvania, for example, Gov. Josh Shapiro amended an existing School Safety and Mental Health grant program to allow for the purchase of lockable phone pouches for phones to be placed in during school hours.
Time will tell which approaches to dealing with cell phones in the classroom work best for students, educators, parents and guardians.