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Arab Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
School smartphone bans reflect growing concern over youth mental health, academic performance
The number of states banning smartphones in schools is growing. New York is now the largest state in the U.S. to ban smartphones in public schools. Starting in fall 2025, students will not be allowed to use their phones during the school day, including during lunch, recess or in between classes. This bell-to-bell policy will impact almost 2.5 million students in grades K-12. By banning smartphones in schools, New York is joining states across the country. The bans are happening in both traditionally liberal and conservative states. Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and West Virginia all passed legislation in 2025 that requires schools to have policies that limit access to smartphones. The policies will go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year. This brings the total to 17 states, plus Washington, D.C., that have phone-free school legislation or executive orders. I'm a professor who studies communication and culture, and while writing a book about parenting culture, I've noticed the narrative around smartphones and social media shifting over the past decade. According to the Pew Research Center, 67% of American adults support banning smartphones during class time, although only 36% support banning them for the entire school day. Notably, a majority of Republican, Democratic and independent voters all support bans during class time. More broadly, parent-led movements to limit children's use of smartphones, social media and the internet have sprung up around the country. For example, the Phone-Free Schools Movement in Pennsylvania was launched in 2023, and Mothers Against Media Addiction started in New York in March 2024. These organizations, which empower parents to advocate in their local communities, follow in the footsteps of organizations such as Wait Until 8th in Texas and Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay in Massachusetts, which were formed in 2017. The concerns of these parent-led organizations were reflected in the best-selling book 'The Anxious Generation,' which paints a bleak picture of modern childhood as dominated by depression and anxiety brought on by smartphone addiction. Phone-free schools are one of the four actions the book's author, Jonathan Haidt, recommended to change course. The other three are no smartphones for children before high school, waiting until 16 for social media access, and allowing more childhood independence in the real world. Haidt's research team collaborated with The Harris Poll to survey Gen Z. They found that almost half of those age 18-27 wish social media had never been invented, and 21% wish smartphones had never been invented. About 40% of Gen Z respondents supported phone-free schools. The Pew Research Center found that almost 40% of kids age 8-12 use social media, and almost 95% of kids age 13-17 use it, with nearly half of teens reporting that they use social media almost constantly. Phone-free schools are also part of the larger trend of states and nations resisting Big Tech, the large technology companies that play a significant role in global commerce. In May 2025, two U.S. senators introduced the Stop the Scroll Act, which would require mental health warnings on social media. New laws that ban smartphones or social media for youth are being introduced across several Western nations. Australia has banned all social media for those under 16. After a fatal stabbing at a middle school in eastern France on June 10, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the same day that he wants the European Union to set the minimum age for social media at 15. He argued that social media is a factor in teen violence. If the EU doesn't act within a few months, Macron has pledged to enact a ban in France as soon as possible. Although this trend of restricting use of phones in school is new, more states may adopt smartphone bans in the future. Bell-to-bell bans are viewed as especially powerful in improving academic performance. Some research has suggested that when children have access to a smartphone, even if they do not use it, they find it harder to focus in class. Initial research has found that academic performance improves after the bans go into effect. Test scores fell across the U.S. during the pandemic lockdown and have not returned to prepandemic levels. Some states, such as Maine and Oregon, are almost a full year behind grade level in reading. Not a single state has recovered in both math and reading. Statewide bans free local school districts from having to create their own technology bans, which can lead to heated debates. Although a majority of adults approve of banning smartphones in class, 24% oppose it for reasons such as wanting to be able to contact their kids throughout the day and wanting parents to set the boundaries. However, 72% of high school teachers say that phones are a major distraction. Anecdotally, schools report that students like the bans after getting used to the change. (By Margaret Murray University of Michigan - AP)
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I'm a mom. Florida lawmakers, DeSantis must ban cell phones in schools.
I am writing to you today as a parent, a chapter leader for MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction), and a member of the Distraction-Free Schools Policy Project to express my full support for House Bill 949 — the Wireless Communications Devices on School Grounds Act — which was passed unanimously by the House on April 16. I am asking the Senate Rules Committee to take this bill up now for a review. (The bill was received in the Rules Committee on Tuesday.) 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. Opinion: Florida's future shouldn't be at the expense of wildlife. New bill honors both. 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. Opinion: Palm Beach County out front using concierge care to fix broken health care system 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
