I'm a mom. Florida lawmakers, DeSantis must ban cell phones in schools.
Cell phones do not belong in schools. They are an undeniable distraction, even outside of classroom instruction. Students come to school not only to learn academically, but to grow socially and emotionally — by engaging face-to-face, making eye contact, resolving conflicts, and yes, even learning through boredom. Instead, many will spend precious school hours browsing shopping sites, playing video games, watching pornography, and worse.
According to the Seattle Children's Research Institute, adolescents ages 13–18 years spend 1.5 hours out of a 6.5-hour school day on their smartphones. That's nearly a quarter of the school day — and a quarter of our taxpayer-funded education — diverted to activities with no academic or developmental value. This is not just an issue of distraction. It is a misuse of public funding, and worse, a profound loss of learning opportunity.
Florida has been a national leader in protecting children from online harm. From Gov. Ron DeSantis' critical decision to prioritize in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, to supporting legislation like HB 379, which removed phones from classrooms during instruction, and HB 3, aimed at shielding children from pornographic content and harmful social media — Florida has consistently acted ahead of the curve. Passing HB 949 would build on this momentum, ensuring Florida students are not only safer but also better positioned to thrive academically and socially than their peers in states still allowing these constant distractions in schools.
And in a crisis, experts state that students are safer listening to trained adults rather than reaching for their phones. A full school-day break from devices is necessary to allow students to be present and focused throughout the day.
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The school environment when phones are allowed has grown silent, each child hunched over a glowing screen. In contrast, schools that implement full phone-free policies report more social interaction, improved classroom focus, and fewer disciplinary incidents. Teachers notice the difference, and over time, so do parents — often transitioning from initial hesitation to full support.
To those who argue that students must "learn to manage" their devices: managing addiction is not a skill that can be taught. Smartphones and social media platforms are deliberately engineered to be addictive. Even tech executives (those who know the risks best) refuse to let their own children use these tools. Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams testified under oath that Silicon Valley executives ban screens in their own homes. If they won't expose their children to these products, why should we expose Florida's children during school hours?
Let us also consider how phones intensify the emotional toll of adolescence. Imagine your worst day in middle or high school — embarrassed, awkward, maybe even bullied. Now imagine that moment recorded, uploaded, tagged and shared with the entire student body. That is a terrifying reality for today's students. Why are we arming them with surveillance tools — and permanent platforms for public shame — during the school day?
School is not the place for social media rabbit holes, violent video streaming, or peer surveillance. It is a place for learning, growing, and becoming fully present in real life. If 23% of the school day is spent on phones, then 23% of our children's education — and our public investment — is lost to distraction, anxiety, and harm.
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Let's follow the lead of the Florida districts already seeing success with bell-to-bell phone-free policies. Let's protect kids the way tech executives protect their own children. And let's ensure that every Florida student has the chance to focus, learn, and connect — without the shadow of a phone screen.
I urge parents, educators, Florida senators and Gov. DeSantis to support HB 949. Our children deserve our protection.
Jill Coleman is co-Chair of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) Palm Beach County. She is a resident of Palm Beach Gardens.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida schools should ban cell phones. Do it, DeSantis | Opinion
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