Charles Longshore distinctly remembers the tipping point that led his Alabama middle school to ban cell phones, two years before the state adopted its own ban.

Longshore, then the assistant principal at Dothan Preparatory Academy, had gotten wind that two girls planned to fight in the courtyard between classes and pulled them into the office about 10 minutes before the scheduled rumble. That prevented the fight, but it didn鈥檛 stop hundreds of other students from racing to the courtyard hoping to watch a spectacle advertised through texts and chats, with their own phones out ready to record it.

Stories like these 鈥� along with countless less dramatic moments of distraction and disengagement 鈥� have made cell phone bans a rare point of bipartisan agreement on education policy. Twenty-six states now have . Two-thirds of principals said their school had a bell-to-bell ban in a .

But so far there hasn鈥檛 been much concrete evidence about the impacts of school cell phone bans.

鈥淭he policy action is just happening at a level that far surpasses the available evidence,鈥� said David Figlio, an economics professor at the University of Rochester. 鈥淭he available evidence is largely people鈥檚 hunches.鈥�

Figlio and Umut 脰zek, a senior economist at RAND Corp., a research organization, set out to address that gap. Their study, , analyzes data from a large, county-level urban school district in Florida, which was the first state to adopt a cell phone ban.

The study found modest improvements in test scores in the second year of the ban, after an increase in suspensions in the first year.

The Florida school district had adopted a bell-to-bell ban, more restrictive than the state law, which requires that students not use their phones during instructional time. Students violating the ban had their phones confiscated but got them back at the end of the school day. Students could also face discipline, including suspension, for violating the ban.

Florida students take standardized tests three times a year, and schools report discipline and attendance daily, giving researchers a lot of information to work with.

Using data about cell phone usage coming from each school building, the researchers first identified schools where students used cell phones at higher and lower levels before the ban, which went into effect in 2023. Middle schools had higher cell phone use than high schools before and after the ban.

Researchers then used data from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years to compare changes in schools with the highest cell phone use before the ban and those with the lowest.

This study design, known as difference within difference, allows researchers to draw stronger conclusions about causality.

In the second year of the ban, average test scores on the higher-stakes spring test went up by 1.1 percentiles more in the schools where students previously used their phones a lot, compared with low-activity schools. The results were more significant for middle and high school students, and boys seemed to benefit more than girls.

But the gains came with tradeoffs. Suspensions went up in the first year of the ban, the study found, especially for Black boys.

And white students saw greater test score growth than Black students.

鈥淏lack students seem to be accruing fewer of the benefits of the cell phone ban and more of the disciplinary costs,鈥� Figlio said.

The study can鈥檛 answer why Black students 鈥� who often face disproportionate discipline 鈥� were suspended more often. The increase largely went away in the second year of the ban. Still, Figlio said, the finding calls for schools to be thoughtful about how they approach enforcement.

The study didn鈥檛 directly measure school climate 鈥� the kind of improvement Longshore and other principals often notice most after they adopt a ban 鈥� but researchers did track unexcused absences and students changing schools, potential proxies for how content or safe students feel at school.

Both metrics improved after the cell phone ban was in effect. In fact, the study found that the improvements in attendance contributed to about half the increase in student test scores after the ban.

Figlio called the test score increases 鈥渕eaningful but not game-changing.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not transforming test scores,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e observing palpable improvement. We鈥檙e observing kids attending school more.鈥�

Test score declines blamed on cell phones

American students鈥� scores on and have been trending down for the past decade, well before COVID disruptions. Researchers are not entirely sure why, but one theory is that the rise of cell phone and social media use among children has had deleterious cognitive and social effects.

鈥淲e lack direct evidence of a causal link between smartphones and learning, but I鈥檓 convinced that this technology is a key driver of youth mental health challenges, a distraction from learning, both inside and outside of schools, and a deterrent to reading,鈥� Harvard education professor Martin West told the .

Because social media wasn鈥檛 introduced to children through a randomized controlled trial, it鈥檚 hard to isolate the effects, West said at the hearing. Cell phone bans provide an opportunity to study what happens when social media is removed from the school environment.

But West urged policymakers and parents to address social media use outside of school as well. A study published in JAMA earlier this month found that than those who used little or no social media.

Figlio said he鈥檚 prepared to say that cell phones are a driver of test score declines, but there鈥檚 not enough evidence to say whether they鈥檙e the primary driver.

Longshore, whose school was not involved in the study and who had not read the study when he spoke to Chalkbeat, said state test scores didn鈥檛 change significantly after the school started requiring students to leave their phones in a lockbox all day. The school maintained its trajectory of slow but steady growth.

But far fewer students failed their classes, he said. Longshore referred roughly 80 students to summer school the year before the ban. This past summer, it was just 20.

Longshore, who left Dothan at the end of last school year to take a principal job in another district, didn鈥檛 suspend students who violated the ban. Instead, after the first offense, the school would hold onto the phone until a parent could pick it up. At a high-poverty school where many parents work multiple jobs, students might go days without their phones 鈥� and the parent usually made sure the child didn鈥檛 bring it to school again.

With chronic absenteeism already high, Longshore said the last thing he wanted was more students out of class as a result of the ban.

And in fact, discipline at the school improved significantly. There was less drama, Longshore said, and far fewer fights. The lunchroom got loud again with students talking to their classmates.

Future research on cell phone bans could dig into school climate surveys or examine academic or discipline data in different school contexts, Figlio said. The question of impact is 鈥渘ot asked and answered,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 care a lot about test scores, but I care even more about kids鈥� life outcomes 鈥� graduating high school, attending college, workforce participation,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese are things we won鈥檛 know for a while.鈥�

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .听

Scores last week on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP test, often called 鈥渢he Nation鈥檚 Report Card,鈥� showed that just 22% of seniors were 鈥減roficient鈥� or above in math, down from 24% in 2019. And just 35% were proficient in reading, down from 37% in 2019. Higher percentages in 2024 also scored in NAEP鈥檚 鈥渂elow basic鈥� level in both subjects.

That has prompted a chorus of protests from experts who believe that, among other problems, digital devices and social media are dragging down U.S. teens. 

Harvard scholar Martin West, who co-leads the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees NAEP, said in an the day the scores appeared that emerging evidence of widening achievement gaps in other developed countries suggests that we should be looking at 鈥渇actors that transcend national boundaries.鈥�

The rise of smartphones 鈥� and particularly the advent of social media use among young people 鈥� seems a likely culprit, he said.

鈥淭he timing fits,鈥� West wrote. 鈥淧hones distract students from math homework just as much as they do from reading.鈥� And surveys show that disadvantaged students spend the most time on their devices, 鈥渨hile motivated students of all backgrounds may be able to use them to enhance their learning.鈥� He noted that disadvantaged students saw the biggest score drops.

While there鈥檚 no definitive causal link between smartphones and learning, West said, the circumstantial evidence is 鈥渟ufficiently strong鈥� to justify experimenting with all-day 鈥渂ell-to-bell鈥� phone bans in schools, as well as continued efforts to 鈥渞ein in students鈥� near-constant use of other digital devices while in class.鈥�

A 2024 found that about one in three teachers consider students distracted by cell phones 鈥渁 major problem.鈥� Among high school teachers, that figure rises sharply, to 72%. More recently, Pew researchers 74% of U.S. adults say they would support banning cellphones during class for middle and high school students, up from 68% last fall. 

Much of that momentum grows from years of efforts by the psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who has pushed for schools to . Haidt, author of the mega-bestseller , says there鈥檚 growing evidence of an 鈥渋nternational epidemic鈥� of mental illness that started around 2012, caused in part by social media and teens鈥� uptake of smartphones in the early 2010s. 

鈥淢any parents now see the addiction and distraction these devices cause in their children; most of us have heard harrowing stories of self-harming behavior and suicide attempts among our friends鈥� children,鈥� Haidt wrote in 2023, weeks after the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warning that social media use in particular can carry 鈥渁 profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.鈥�

Murthy said there wasn鈥檛 enough evidence to determine if social media use 鈥渋s sufficiently safe鈥� for young people, especially during adolescence, 鈥渁 particularly vulnerable period of brain development.鈥� While the evidence suggests that social media could put kids鈥� mental health and well-being at risk, he admitted that more research is needed to fully understand its impact.

To San Diego State University professor and psychologist Jean Twenge, the new NAEP scores 鈥渁re yet another indication that academic performance is suffering and we need to do something.鈥�

The academic declines predate the COVID pandemic, she said, reaching back to the early 2010s, just as smartphones became popular 鈥� Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. 鈥淪o yes, teens having access to their phones during the school day could certainly be one of the causes of the declines in test scores,鈥� she said in an email.

Twenge, author of the new book , said bell-to-bell phone bans 鈥渁re one obvious and usually low-cost solution.鈥� That idea, she said, 鈥渉as only started to catch on in the last year, so we don’t yet know what impact it’s having.鈥� She noted that it鈥檚 not even clear how many schools have adopted them, but theorized that they鈥檒l make a difference.

鈥淲hen the phone is available, it’s just too tempting for students to look at it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen rules are only classroom-by-classroom, many teachers allow students to use their phones after they’ve completed their work. What teenager wouldn’t rush through their work to get on their phone? It’s setting them up to fail.鈥�

鈥楾he research is not strong, but public opinion is鈥�

Research on the topic and related issues is beginning to emerge, but doubts about its utility leave a few researchers skeptical.

Writing in Education Next last week, University of Virginia cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham noted that more screen time is with poor attention regulation, for instance. Most studies, he said, support the hypothesis that children鈥檚 screen time is associated with poorer attentional control, but the size of the observed relationship, on average, is small.

He warned that educators should keep in mind the context of kids鈥� digital device use, such as the notion that more screen time could coincide with particular styles of parenting that could also affect kids鈥� abilities. 鈥淧arents may allow their child more access to screens in an effort to improve their child鈥檚 mood or behavior,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淥r screen activities may keep the child occupied so parents have time for their own pursuits.鈥�

And of course wealthy families may have easier access to pastimes that aren鈥檛 screen-based. 鈥淚n each case,鈥� Willingham said, 鈥渋t may be elements of the context that have the critical effect on attention, not digital activities per se.鈥�

In one 2024 study, University of Delaware researchers from 1,459 middle schoolers, ages 11 to 15, finding that their academic achievement decreased as their self-reported use of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X increased. Controlling for age, gender, race and ethnicity, they found that participants鈥� grades dropped as the frequency of their social media use across all four platforms rose.

By contrast, a by Chinese researchers found that medical students who used social media platforms like WeChat to discuss their work did better and were more engaged in discussions. 

Marilyn Campbell, a professor in the school of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education at Australia鈥檚 , cautioned that current peer-reviewed research hasn鈥檛 found an airtight causal connection between mobile phone use and students鈥� academic performance, their mental health or even the likelihood of being cyberbullied. 

鈥淭he research is not strong, but public opinion is,鈥� she said. 鈥淧ublic opinion is driving this, or else why would politicians get involved?鈥�  

Australia has had a near-total cell phone ban in public schools since 2023, and lawmakers have sung its praises: In South Australia, where the ban didn鈥檛 take effect until 2024, showed a 63% decline in “critical incidents involving social media” in the first six months, with behavioral issues down 54% and violent incidents down 10%. But Campbell has noted that there鈥檚 little reliable research on academics, mental health and the like.

Banning phones in school makes a kind of logical sense to many people, she said, because there鈥檚 a lot of circumstantial evidence supporting it. But she said it鈥檚 often a false connection. Campbell compared it to watching summer ice cream sales rise and concluding that it鈥檚 ice cream that makes sunglasses fly off the shelves. 

In a of 22 research studies from 12 countries, Campbell and several colleagues found 鈥渓ittle to no conclusive evidence鈥� that broad mobile phone bans in schools produce better academics or mental health, or that they reduce cyberbullying. 

Conversely, she said, it鈥檚 not entirely clear if banning cell phones in school could have unintended harmful consequences, such as parents finding it more difficult to get kids to do homework or to put away their phones at home 鈥渂ecause they’ve got to catch up on all their social media that they haven’t been able to during the break times,鈥� Campbell said.

She also said it鈥檚 possible that students in schools with phone bans are staying up later with their phones and missing sleep, which would also have a negative effect on academics.

Campbell also said broad bans leave young people with less practice self-regulating their device use. 鈥淜ids leave our schools when they’re 18,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey’re adults, they’re going to university, and they have had no training [or] practical experience of saying, 鈥業 really want to look at my phone, but I know it’s rude or it’s the wrong thing to do, and I’m going to control myself and not do this.鈥� They’ve had none of that experience when they go to work, when they go to further education.鈥�

And in a few cases, she said, bans on devices can hurt poor kids. She recalled a school in Australia with a lot of kids from low-income families whose principal said many students have phones, but few can afford data plans. The principal, she said, encouraged kids to bring their phones to school so they could take advantage of the school’s Wi Fi. 

鈥淗e said, 鈥業f I can get them to school, I can keep them safe. They’re not wandering around the malls and getting in trouble. I can feed them, and hopefully they might learn something.鈥欌��

Tom Kane, an economist and education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said the next year or so will be key as scholars push to study U.S. school cell phone bans already in place for evidence that they鈥檝e made a difference. 鈥淭hat’s central to this question of what’s been driving the loss in achievement,鈥� he said.

While such bans can鈥檛 address all of the conditions making achievement suffer, he said, they can eliminate distractions during the school day. He just hopes the findings see the light of day sooner rather than later, with a scientific consensus emerging over the next year or two.

鈥淲e can’t wait a decade to figure out what was the effect of these cell phone bans,鈥� he said. 

Harvard鈥檚 West, who also serves on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said policymakers also need to consider higher, clearer standards for students and ways to hold schools accountable for ensuring kids meet state standards 鈥� he noted that, for all the derision No Child Left Behind generated, 鈥渋t produced results鈥� such as steadily rising levels of achievement, driven by large gains for the nation鈥檚 lowest-performers 鈥� the opposite of what we鈥檙e seeing now.

West鈥檚 two sons have phones, and he admitted that he takes comfort 鈥渋n being able to reach my boys as needed.鈥� But he also appreciates experts鈥� calls to put phones away. 鈥淐oupled with greater accountability around student achievement, it may be the single most important thing we can do to help our kids learn,鈥� he wrote.

While the evidence for phone bans improving academics might take years, one teacher said he鈥檚 seeing results already, in a matter of weeks. 

Blake Harvard, an AP high school psychology teacher in Madison, Ala., a suburb of Huntsville, said Alabama鈥檚 , enacted in May, is already having an effect since school began in early August. 鈥淚’m getting more from my students than I did鈥� last year, he said. 鈥淣ow, of course, that’s anecdotal, but I sincerely think discussions are better. I’m getting more student participation from [students] in the past who may have been trying to sneak a cell phone.鈥�

Harvard, the author of a recent book on the psychology of student attention, said he and his colleagues initially worried that students wouldn鈥檛 put up with a ban. 鈥淏ut they’ve been fine about it, honestly,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ery quickly, everyone was just like, 鈥榃ell, O.K., this is the way it is.鈥欌��

Harvard makes sure he talks to classes each fall about the brain science behind attention, such as how multitasking is a myth. 鈥淵ou can’t consciously pay attention to two things at once,鈥� he said. 

Looking at one鈥檚 social media notifications while driving is dangerous. Likewise, he said, 鈥淚f you’re looking at all your notifications in class, that’s getting your attention. So the lesson itself can’t get your attention.鈥�

Just a few weeks into the semester, Harvard said his students have already figured out that while the law says they can鈥檛 have a phone 鈥渙n their person鈥� during the school day, they can keep it stowed in a backpack on the floor 鈥� the school doesn鈥檛 have lockers. As he was walking among desks the other day, he noticed a phone visible in a student鈥檚 open backpack. He joked that he might have to write her up, to which she replied, 鈥淚t’s not 鈥榦n my person.鈥欌�� 

Harvard thought to himself, 鈥淲ell, if students didn’t know what 鈥榦n my person鈥� meant before this, in legal parlance, they know what it means now. They figured it out quickly.鈥�

Disclosures: The Future of High School Network and 社区黑料 both receive financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, XQ and the Walton Family Foundation.

In Florida, in elementary and middle schools, from bell to bell, recently sailed through the state Legislature.

Gov. Ron聽聽on May 30, 2025. The same bill calls for high schools in six Florida districts to adopt the ban during the upcoming school year and produce a report on its effectiveness by Dec. 1, 2026.

But in the debate over whether phones in K-12 schools 鈥� and 鈥� .

We are experts in and who in Florida in November and December 2024 to learn how they鈥檙e using digital media and the role tech plays in their lives at home and at school. Their responses were insightful 鈥� and occasionally surprising.

Adults generally cite four reasons to ban phone use during school: to improve kids鈥� mental health, to strengthen academic outcomes, to reduce and to help limit kids鈥� overall screen time.

But as our survey shows, it may be a bit much to expect a cellphone ban to accomplish all of that.

What do kids want?

Some of the questions in our survey shine light on kids鈥� feelings toward banning cellphones 鈥� even though we didn鈥檛 ask that question directly.

We asked them if they feel relief when they鈥檙e in a situation where they can鈥檛 use their smartphone, and 31% said yes.

Additionally, 34% of kids agreed with the statement that social media causes more harm than good.

And kids were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to agree with those statements if they attended schools where phones are banned or confiscated for most of the school day, with use only permitted at certain times. That group covered 70% of the students we surveyed because many individual schools or in Florida have already limited students鈥� cellphone use.

How students use cellphones matters

Some 鈥減ower users鈥� of cellphone apps could likely use a break from them.

Twenty percent of children we surveyed said 鈥� that is, notifications from apps that pop up on the phone鈥檚 screen 鈥� are never turned off. These notifications are likely coming from the most popular apps kids reported using, like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

This 20% of children was roughly three times more likely to report experiencing anxiety than kids who rarely or never have their notifications on.

They were also nearly five times more likely to report earning mostly D鈥檚 and F鈥檚 in school than kids whose notifications are always or sometimes off.

Our survey results also suggest phone bans would likely have positive effects on grades and mental health among some of the heaviest screen users. For example, 22% of kids reported using their favorite app for six or more hours per day. These students were three times more likely to report earning mostly D鈥檚 and F鈥檚 in school than kids who spend an hour or less on their favorite app each day.

They also were six times more likely than hour-or-less users to report severe depression symptoms. These insights remained even after ruling out numerous other possible explanations for the difference 鈥� like age, household income, gender, parent鈥檚 education, race and ethnicity.

Banning students鈥� access to phones at school means these kids would not receive notifications for at least that seven-hour period and have fewer hours in the day to use apps.

Phones and mental health

However, other data we collected suggests that bans aren鈥檛 a universal benefit for all children.

Seventeen percent of kids who attend schools that ban or confiscate phones report severe depression symptoms, compared with just 4% among kids who keep their phones with them during the school day.

This finding held even after we ruled out other potential explanations for what we were seeing, such as the type of school students attend and other demographic factors.

We are not suggesting that our survey shows phone bans cause mental health problems.

It is possible, for instance, that the schools where kids already were struggling with their mental health simply happened to be the ones that have banned phones. Also, our survey didn鈥檛 ask kids how long phones have been banned at their schools. If the bans just launched, there may be positive effects on mental health or grades yet to come.

In order to get a better sense of the bans鈥� effects on mental health, we would need to examine mental health indicators before and after phone bans.

To get a long-term view on this question, we are planning to do a nationwide survey of digital media use and mental health, starting with 11- to 13-year-olds and tracking them into adulthood.

Even with the limitations of our data from this survey, however, we can conclude that banning phones in schools is unlikely to be an immediate solution to mental health problems of kids ages 11-13.

Grades up, cyberbullying down

Students at schools where phones are barred or confiscated didn鈥檛 report earning higher grades than children at schools where kids keep their phones.

This finding held for students at both private and public schools, and even after ruling out other possible explanations like differences in gender and household income, since .

There are limits to our findings here: Grades are not a perfect measure of learning, and they鈥檙e not standardized across schools. It鈥檚 possible that kids at phone-free schools are in fact learning more than those at schools where kids carry their phones around during school hours 鈥� even if they earn the same grades.

We asked kids how often in the past three months they鈥檇 experienced mistreatment online 鈥� like being called hurtful names or having lies or rumors spread about them. Kids at schools where phone use is limited during school hours actually reported enduring more cyberbullying than children at schools with less restrictive policies. This result persisted even after we considered smartphone ownership and numerous demographics as possible explanations.

We are not necessarily saying that cellphone bans cause an increase in cyberbullying. What could be at play here is that at schools where cyberbullying has been particularly bad, phones have been banned or are confiscated, and online bullying still occurs.

But based on our survey results, it does not appear that school phone bans prevent cyberbullying.

Overall, our findings suggest that banning phones in schools may not be an easy fix for students鈥� mental health problems, poor academic performance or cyberbullying.

That said, kids might benefit from phone-free schools in ways that we have not explored, like increased attention spans or reduced eyestrain.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

On the surface, it seems like a simple solution: remove the distraction, and students will focus. But as someone who has spent decades in public education at the K-12 and college level, I see a far more complex issue at play.

Distraction in the classroom is not just about phones鈥攊t鈥檚 about engagement. The truth is, many students aren鈥檛 glued to their screens because they鈥檙e addicted. They鈥檙e disengaged. 

If a student finds their coursework relevant, meaningful, and motivating, they won鈥檛 be on their phone. The best teachers 鈥� the ones who truly engage their students 鈥攄on鈥檛 have phone problems in their classrooms.

One of my greatest concerns with this ban is that it applies a one-size-fits-all solution to a diverse population. Schools are not factories; every student is different, and every learning environment is unique. There are schools in New York that have embraced technology in innovative ways 鈥� using phones to enhance instruction, conduct research, and facilitate real-world learning. This policy could strip those schools of a valuable tool rather than supporting effective teaching practices.

We should be asking: What are the schools that don鈥檛 struggle with phone distractions doing right? What can we learn from their engagement strategies? Instead, we鈥檙e resorting to blanket restrictions that fail to address the root of the problem.

The idea that taking away phones will somehow fix students’ mental health struggles is both misguided and oversimplified. Mental health is about relationships, support, and the ability to feel safe and heard. Strong school communities provide students with counseling, peer support, and environments where they can openly discuss their challenges. A policy that removes phones without addressing these fundamental issues is unlikely to yield the results its proponents hope for.

In fact, when I asked students in my college classrooms what they would say to Gov. Hochul or other leaders about this policy, their top concern was safety. The announcement came shortly after the Nashville school shooting, and they told me: 鈥淯ntil schools are truly safe, we need our phones.鈥�

For many students, phones aren鈥檛 just a social tool; they鈥檙e a lifeline in uncertain situations.

Others brought up an interesting point: Some students use their phones in class to double-check their answers before speaking up. In classrooms where participation can feel intimidating, a phone can be a confidence booster 鈥� allowing students to verify information before contributing to discussions.

And then, of course, there鈥檚 the practical reality that students will always find a way around bans. My students laughed when I brought up the idea of strict enforcement and shared all the creative ways they already sneak phones into classrooms. Simply banning devices won鈥檛 eliminate the behavior 鈥� it will just push it underground.

The bottom line is this: Students in highly engaging classrooms aren鈥檛 on their phones. They are immersed in project-based learning, tackling real-world problems, conducting research, and developing solutions. They are in environments where they feel seen, where their voices matter, and where their education is relevant to their lives.

We need to focus on these types of classrooms. Let鈥檚 study what the most effective teachers are doing and bring those practices into more schools. Let鈥檚 invest in instructional design that excites students rather than assuming that taking away a device will force engagement.

A cellphone ban is an easy policy to announce, but a much harder one to enforce. And more importantly, it doesn鈥檛 solve the real issue. If we want students off their phones, we need to give them a reason to put them down鈥攏ot by force, but by making their education something they want to engage in.

After years of trying to keep students from using their phones during the school day, Kihei Charter School has invested roughly $9,000 in what administrators hope will be a foolproof way to keep mobile devices out of classrooms. 

The Maui school purchased 300 pouches this year that magnetically lock when students place their phones inside, said Head of School Michael Stubbs. High school students put their phones in the pouches at the start of the day and can only open them in the afternoon using a special unlocking station teachers store in their rooms.

So far the effort appears to be working. Teachers are reporting fewer distractions in class this year and more social interactions among students, Stubbs said. The school also purchased games like Connect 4 and Jenga for students to play during their free time.

鈥淭here鈥檚 less isolation,鈥� he said.

Many schools in Hawaii are grappling with how to reduce students鈥� reliance on cell phones, citing concerns about unnecessary distractions in class and the toll social media can take on teenagers鈥� mental health.

 have passed laws restricting cell phone use during class time, and another 12 have introduced legislation to curb phone use on campuses. In Hawaii, guidelines from the  state that students can only use electronic devices with teacher approval.

Principals have the freedom to create policies around cell phone use and can empower teachers to decide how students use personal electronics during class. Often schools resort to confiscating phones and holding parent conferences when students repeatedly ignore their teacher鈥檚 rules.

In 2005, the Hawaii Board of Education debated banning cell phones in public schools statewide but opted not to after members voiced concern about students being able to access phones during an emergency. The board has not discussed any similar proposals since.

Teachers and administrators say restricting cell phone use during the day can reduce students鈥� attachment to their devices and help them develop healthier habits. But many agree that cell phone bans can only go so far, and schools and families need to do more to teach students how to use technology and social media responsibly when they are off-campus.  

鈥淧olicy can help,鈥� said Ilima Intermediate School teacher Sarah Milianta-Laffin. 鈥淏ut we also need to teach kids how to use these devices.鈥�  

Piloting New Cell Phone Policies

At Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, students started the year with a new rule: no phones out during class. Cell phone policies previously varied by classroom, said teacher Chloe Kitsu, who allowed students to keep their phones face down on their desks or use their devices once they finished assignments.

Kitsu initially worried that she would have to constantly remind students to put away their devices or ask administrators to come and confiscate phones from her classroom. But most students have respected the new rules so far, Kitsu said, especially since they are still allowed to use their phones during lunch and passing periods.

鈥淚 think if you told me one year ago that I wouldn鈥檛 have as many problems with cell phones and getting them to put it away, I don鈥檛 know if I would believe you,鈥� Kitsu said. 鈥淏ut really, I鈥檝e had nothing but positive experiences from it.鈥�

Even at the elementary school level, many students are comfortable using cell phones and sharing their devices with friends, said Kaiulani Elementary School Principal Bebi Davis. She makes students keep phones in their backpacks and will confiscate devices if kids repeatedly ignore their teachers鈥� warnings. 

Sometimes, parents and students are frustrated that they can鈥檛 text each other during the school day, Davis added, but she reassures families that they can communicate with their children by calling the front office.

Iolani School, a private school in Honolulu, is also strengthening its policies around cell phones for older students. For the first time this year, seventh through ninth graders are required to keep phones in their bags or lockers until the final bell, although students in grades 10 through 12 are still allowed to use their personal devices throughout the day.   

The school already made students in grades kindergarten through six put their phones away during the day, said Head of School Timothy Cottrell.

Cottrell said student mental health was one of the greatest factors driving the school鈥檚 new policy this year. Students often spend less time interacting with friends and more time comparing themselves to others while they鈥檙e on their phones and using social media, he added. 

 has found that excessive use of social media and cell phones can negatively affect students鈥� physical and mental health, contributing to sleep deprivation and poor self-esteem.

The school can鈥檛 regulate how students use their phones off-campus, but he hopes the new policy will help teens understand how they can use electronics while also prioritizing in-person interactions and physical activities in their daily lives. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 introducing moderation to help them have a healthy relationship with the device,鈥� Cottrell said.

Education May Be Needed More Than Bans

While many schools are cracking down on cell phone use, others are loosening cell phone restrictions in response to student feedback and staff frustration. 

In past years, students at Ilima Intermediate weren鈥檛 allowed to use their phones in common spaces like the library or cafeteria, said Milianta-Laffin. The school鈥檚 security team spent a lot of time confiscating phones, the teacher said, and some students were still checking notifications during class.

The school is now letting students use their phones during lunch and recess with the hope that they鈥檒l keep their devices away during class. 

The new policy has helped, but some kids still try to hide their phones behind their bags or under their desks during class, Milianta-Laffin said. Administrators will occasionally confiscate devices at teachers鈥� requests, but it鈥檚 hard to break students of a bad habit.

鈥淚t is a lot like Whac-A-Mole sometimes,鈥� Milianta-Laffin said. 

During a recent family event on cell phones at Punahou School, parents grappled with a series of questions about how to monitor social media use and set family rules around using phones at home.

Most parents supported the school鈥檚 decision this year to ban phone high schoolers from using their phones during class, said President Michael Latham. But the school is also working with families to teach kids about the impact of social media on their mental health and how to use their phones responsibly outside of campus, Latham added. 

鈥淓ven if you do an outright ban, you have no ability to control what happens once the school day is over,鈥� Latham said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 take the time to actually teach these social and emotional impacts and ways to regulate your own use and behavior, then I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e serving the students very well.鈥�

Deborah Bond-Upson, president of and interim director of the Hui for Excellence in Education, said she would support a statewide policy preventing students from using cell phones during class time. But, she said, teachers would need more support to implement this ban, and schools need to pair these rules with more lessons about how students can use devices for learning, instead of harm. 

鈥淲e need to think smarter about technology,鈥� she said.

Civil Beat鈥檚 education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.