Why Schools Are Racing to Ban Student Phones

By Natasha Singer - Aug. 11, 2024

Natasha Singer covers technology in schools. She welcomes reader tips at nytimes.com/tips

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Cellphones have become a school scourge. More than 70 percent of high school teachers say student phone distraction is a “major problem,” according to a survey this year by Pew Research.

That’s why states are mounting a bipartisan effort to crack down on rampant student cellphone use. So far this year, at least eight states have passed laws, issued orders or adopted rules to curb phone use among students during school hours.

The issue isn’t simply that some children and teenagers compulsively use apps like Snap, TikTok and Instagram during lessons, distracting themselves and their classmates. In many schools, students have also used their phones to bully, sexually exploit and share videos of physical attacks on their peers.

But cellphone restrictions can be difficult for teachers to enforce without schoolwide rules requiring students to place their phones in lockers or other locations.

Now state lawmakers, along with some prominent governors, are pushing for more uniform restrictions in public schools.

With the new school year already underway this month in some states, those new rules are kicking in. Here’s what to know.

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More of the article here.

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