I count myself as one of the lucky ones to have grown up without the distraction of cell phones, social media, and the lure of the internet. That is why I am glad to see the growing movement to ban cell phones from schools. This movement is reinforced by Trump’s new Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Kennedy recently announced he is working with various states to remove all cell phones from schools in what many are dubbing the “Bell to Bell” initiative. Secretary Kennedy believes cell phones are not only detrimental to a child’s mental health, but have also been shown to cause physical damage to the health of children and adults. In mid-March, Kennedy told Fox News:
“Cell phones also produce electromagnetic radiation which has been shown to do neurological damage to kids when it’s around them all day and to cause cellular damage and even cancer. So cell phone use and social media use on the cell phone has been directly connected with depression, with poor performance in schools, with suicidal ideation, with substance abuse. And you know, the other countries that have done this, and the states that are doing this have found that it is a much healthier environment when kids are not using cell phones in schools — and the teachers love it!”
Cell-phone bans are not a new concept, but they have gained renewed attention due to the increasing prevalence of smartphones in young people’s lives. According to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, nearly 95% of American teenagers have access to a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 2018). This widespread use has led educators to reassess the role of cell phones in the classroom, particularly with the growing concerns that smartphones may distract students from their academic work.
The primary reasons cited by schools for banning cell phone use include:
- Distraction: Cell phones are often seen as a major distraction during class time. Studies show that students who use their phones in school tend to have lower academic performance compared to those who do not (Beland & Murphy, 2015). Texting, social media, and gaming are just a few examples of activities that can divert students’ attention away from lessons.
- Cyberbullying: Smartphones can also facilitate bullying, especially through social media platforms. Research has shown that students who are victims of cyberbullying are more likely to experience depression and anxiety (Kowalski et al., 2014). By limiting phone use, schools hope to reduce the opportunities for such harmful behavior.
- Mental Health: Concerns about the impact of social media on students’ mental health have also led to increased calls for cell phone restrictions. Excessive screen time has been linked to various mental health issues, including sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression (Twenge, 2017).
- Academic Integrity: Cell phones can also be used for cheating during tests and exams. Banning phones during assessments is one way to maintain academic integrity.
A study conducted by the London School of Economics in 2015 examined the Beland & Murphy, 2015). This suggests that limiting cell phone use during school hours can lead to better academic performance, particularly in subjects like mathematics and reading.
In addition, schools that enforce a strict no-phone policy have reported fewer instances of bullying and lower levels of anxiety among students (Kowalski et al., 2014). By reducing the temptation for students to engage with social media or use their phones for malicious purposes, these policies can contribute to a more positive school environment.
A renowned social psychologist at NYU, Jonathan Haidt, has been influential in fueling the “Bell-to-Bell” cell phone ban movement. He believes a “phone-based childhood” is causing “an anxious generation” of children. He promotes evidence showing that social media and cell phone use have “rewired childhood and created an epidemic of mental illness” in children.
Haidt’s research on the subject prompted him, in the spring of 2024, to ask parents and teachers to take action and recognize the fact that cell phone use before the age of 14 and social media use before the age of 16 is unhealthy and damaging to children. Haidt has therefore advocated aggressively for “cell phone-free” schools to foster a healthier environment for children.
Haidt cites published research showing that the period between 2010 and 2015 changed, “children’s lives so rapidly that we call it ‘the great rewiring of childhood…’ This is precisely the period in which teen mental health began to collapse in many countries around the world,” he continued. Haidt believes the use of social media and cell phones is “a disaster of epic proportions” and we “must roll it back.”
Across the U.S., school districts are increasingly adopting strict cellphone policies. One notable example is the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which introduced one of the most stringent cell phone bans in the nation. Starting in 2024, LAUSD required that students lock their phones in pouches that can only be unlocked at the end of the school day.
California is not the only state pushing for stricter phone policies. According to a March 31 article written by Clare Morrell for Commonplace, “schools and districts in at least 14 states” have implemented bans on the use of cell phones during the school day. Axios reported in December, 2024, that “at least 11 states were considering legislation to ban or restrict cell phone use in schools,” and governors in Arkansas, New Hampshire, Iowa, Nebraska, and New York had either “called for bans or indicated they would explore such policies” in 2025. More and more states are looking at the practice of banning or restricting cell phone use during the school day.
In New York City, the nation’s largest school district, a 2015 ban on cellphone use in classrooms was reinforced to curb distractions. While the policy ended after Mayor Harold Bloomberg’s administration, the New York State legislature imposed a “whole-day ban” on cell phones on April 3 “under a new budget agreement aimed at improving children’s mental health.”
In Texas, several districts have followed suit by implementing similar policies, noting improvements in classroom behavior and focus. Virginia adopted a statewide “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban for K-12 public schools in September 2024. Governor Ron DeSantis restricted cell phone use in the classroom in 2023. He stated the ban has improved the school classroom experience for children and teachers. South Carolina’s Department of Education (SCDE) drafted a policy in the summer of 2024 that would ban the use of cell phones and other electronic communication devices in classrooms by 2025. A provision in South Carolina’s FY2024-25 budget stated that school districts must implement the policy or they risk losing state funding.
Other states are offering grants to encourage the practice of banning cell phones. Starting in September 2024, the state of Arkansas approved grants for school districts statewide “to help implement cell phone restrictions in the classroom,” recognizing that “prohibiting or restricting the use of cell phone use by students is complex because they can be necessary for learning and doing research.”
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