School cellphone bans keep bipartisan momentum
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A growing number of states are banning cellphones in schools — almost always with bipartisan support.
Why it matters: Parents are divided over these policies, which are meant to reduce distractions and boost students' socialization.
Where it stands: Eight states have banned or restricted cellphones in schools.
- Education departments in another 10 states have issued policy recommendations or begun pilot programs to curb phone usage.
- And at least 11 states, as of December, were considering legislation to ban or restrict cellphone use in schools, per health nonprofit KFF.
- Governors in Arkansas, New Hampshire, Iowa, Nebraska and New York have either called for bans recently or indicated that they'll explore such policies this year, the AP reported.
The intrigue: These policies have largely received bipartisan support, much like other actions related to youth digital wellbeing.
- "It doesn't matter if you live in a big city or a rural town, urban or suburban, all children are struggling and need that seven-hour break from the pressures of phones and social media during the school day," Kim Whitman, co-founder of the Phone Free Schools Movement, told the AP.
State of play: 68% of U.S. adults support cellphone bans during class, and about 36% favor an all-day ban, a Pew Research survey found last year.
- Most adults who support cellphone bans want to reduce students' distractions.
The other side: Those who oppose the bans, especially parents of K-12 students, argue that parents should be able to reach their children when needed.
- Many parents see cellphones as critical for safety and connectedness, especially in the face of emergencies like school shootings.
Zoom out: Health experts and policymakers have called for stricter regulations on youth social media use, while social media companies have been reckoning with accountability about their platforms' harmful effects on children.
- Research has found that excessive cellphone use can impact children's mental health.
Go deeper: Congress' online safety push stokes kids' mental health debate
