By Gavin Boyle
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that bans students K-12 from using their cell phones during the school day beginning on Sept. 1.
“The passage of HB 1481 marks an important step toward restoring focus and connection in our classrooms,” said State Representative Caroline Fairly. “By creating a phone-free environment, we’re giving teachers the tools to teach without disruption and students the space to learn, think critically, and engage with one another face-to-face. This bill puts education, not screen time, at the center of the school day. I anticipate not only seeing major jumps in GPA’s and test scores, but improvements in mental health and social wellbeing as well.”
Previous cell phone bans elsewhere already prove they’re effective as children focus better and teachers find it easier to do their jobs with fewer distractions in their classrooms.
“It has truly shifted the culture of school and the ability for our kids to be kids,” Carley Spitzer, a counselor at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, which banned cell phone use for the 2023-24 school year, told Geek Wire. “There is so much more joy and connection.”
However, cell phone bans aren’t all positive. Children experience stress learning to live without the technology, and parents face frustrations with not being able to contact their kids whenever they want.
“I’m the first person to say that kids shouldn’t use phones while they’re in class, but they need access to them,” Danielle Hicks, mom to a 9-year-old son, told The Washington Times last October when cell phone bans began being considered nationwide. “My son is often bullied at school, and I want him to have a phone because the school often fails to protect our kids.”
Related: Is Everyone in Favor of School Cell Phone Bans?
Nonetheless, experts seem to be in agreement that overall, cell phone bans will have more positives than negatives for kids. Furthermore, many American adults want to extend regulation beyond schools and ban children under the age of 16 from social media. A study from last December found that 59% of American adults support such a law.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, called for a Surgeon General’s warning to be placed on social media, informing users of the proven negative effects it has on the mental health of developing brains.
Overall, as it has become more clear just how harmful smartphones and social media is for younger brains, it is encouraging to see lawmakers make swift change to protect the youth from these effects.
Read Next: What Experts Think About South Carolina’s School Phone Ban
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