Cell phones have become a near-universal part of growing up. Most kids have them, and if they don’t, they probably pressure their parents to get one. But that reality is increasingly being challenged inside public schools.
According to an Education Week tracker, 31 states plus Washington, D.C. now restrict or ban student cell phone use during at least part of the school day. Support for stricter policies is also growing among educators. A 2020–2024 American Association of Educators survey found 70 percent of teachers favor banning cell phones for the entire school day.
The issue is now front and center in Michigan, where a bipartisan bill passed overwhelmingly in the state House and is currently under consideration in the state Senate. Momentum is also building in Washington, where lawmakers recently examined the impact of screens and personal devices on children during a U.S. Senate hearing.
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During that hearing, Dr. Jared Horvath, a former teacher and cognitive neuroscientist, warned lawmakers that technology in classrooms often undermines learning.
“When tech enters education, learning goes down,” Horvath testified.
He argued that the issue goes beyond smartphones alone.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a phone, if it’s a laptop, if it’s a desktop, and it doesn’t matter who bought it,” Horvath said. “Is it school-sanctioned? Does it have the word ‘education’ stamped on it? It doesn’t matter. All of these things are also going to hurt learning, which in turn hurts kids’ cognitive development.”
Researchers and educators say the consequences aren’t limited to academics. A growing body of research suggests heavy screen use can harm children’s social development as well.
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