Why Every State Should Ban Cell Phones in Schools

Background

Taxpayers are spending more on K-12 public education than ever. Federal, state, and local spending on education adds up to more than $947 billion each year, or nearly $17,000 per student.¹ Despite this, schools are failing American students. After decades of sustained improvements in academic achievement, students are now falling behind. Six in 10 eighth graders perform below proficient math standards, and 70 percent scored below proficient reading standards.^2-3

Academic performance scores had been steadily increasing for decades until 2013, when significant declines began to appear.⁴ The decline in academic performance surged beginning in 2020 due partially to COVID school closures, however school closures alone cannot explain the decline.⁵

In 2024, aptitude testing showed that high school seniors’ math and reading abilities were the lowest that they have ever been since testing began decades ago.^6-7 Sixty-five percent of 12th grade students performed below proficient standard in reading and 78 percent were below the standard in math.^8-9

The problems don’t stop with standardized testing scores. Seventy percent of teachers report a rise in behavior problems since 2019.¹⁰ Teachers spend the equivalent of three weeks of the school year dealing with problem behaviors in the classroom.¹¹ Between 2016 and 2023, there was a 35 percent increase in diagnoses of mental or behavioral problems in adolescents.¹²

One cause of increased behavior problems and reduced academic success is the meteoric rise in smartphone use among adolescents.

Cell phones have been shown to harm children and teenagers

Cell phones and heavy social media use are linked to reduced focus, less time spent on schoolwork, sleep deprivation, poor cognitive control, and poor academic performance.¹³ As youth access to smartphones has skyrocketed over the last decade, academic performance outcomes have tanked.^14-18

Today, 95 percent of teenagers have a smartphone, and teenagers use cell phones an average of nearly five hours per day.^19-20 Research shows that smartphone use among children under the age of 13 is linked to worse emotional regulation, low self-worth, and detachment from reality.²¹ For every year younger than 13 that a smartphone is provided, the impact on well-being is worse.²²

The content accessed by children and teenagers on smartphones is a major source of the harmful impacts. Currently, 90 percent of teenagers use social media multiple times per day, compared to just 33 percent in 2012.^23-24 Spending three hours per day on social media is associated with double the risk of poor mental health outcomes.²⁵ This problem isn’t isolated to teenagers. Forty percent of children aged 8-12 report using social media, and most adolescents with smartphones received their first phone before the age of 10.²⁶

Data shows that adolescents who spent less than an hour per day on a device academically outperformed students who spent more than five hours per day on a device by 50 points.²⁷ Additionally, when students use cell phones during school, it hinders academic performance for the entire class, even for students who didn’t personally use their phones.²⁸

Banning cell phones in schools has been successful in reversing the negative trends

Individual schools have implemented cell phone bans with success. One school district in California implemented a cell phone restriction policy and saw a substantial reduction in behavior issues almost immediately.²⁹ Researchers implemented a pilot program to study the impact of banning cell phones during school and found that teachers reported more social interaction among students, more interest in classwork, and fewer behavior concerns.³⁰ Grades improved and there were fewer instances of fighting and cheating.³¹ In Connecticut, a school district saw a 35 percent reduction in suspensions and a 50 percent reduction in referrals to the principal’s office after banning cell phones.³²

Florida was the first state to implement a statewide policy banning cell phones during instructional periods at all schools in 2023.³³ Since the ban was implemented, there have been significant reductions in unexcused absences and gains in test scores.³⁴ Additionally, students’ mental health improved, children engaged in more physical activity, and there were reductions in bullying.³⁵

In 2025, Virginia passed a law banning cell phones all day, including during lunch and in hallways, which has already resulted in better concentration, less violence, and better interpersonal communication in school, according to teachers and administrators.³⁶

States should enact comprehensive, bell-to-bell personal device bans for all K-12 schools

States are increasingly recognizing the danger that smartphones pose for children and teenagers and are taking action to stop their use in schools. At least 38 states have enacted a school phone law or policy.³⁷ Twenty-nine states have passed legislation that limits phones in schools statewide, while other states have issued executive orders to encourage local districts to limit cell phones or require schools to adopt policies around cell phone use.³⁸

To ensure that students are protected from the harm that cell phone use and social media cause, states should pass comprehensive device bans for all K-12 schools. States should require school districts to restrict personal devices during instructional time as well as lunch periods and study halls, and cover all devices including cell phones, smart watches, personal laptops, headphones, and tablets.

The Bottom Line:

States should ban cell phones in K-12 schools to promote academic success.

Cell phone use in schools is linked to worse academic outcomes for all, even students who are not personally using a device. States must ensure that public schools are places dedicated to learning and academic success, free from the harmful influence of smartphones.

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