Most Americans Support Limiting Cell Phones in Schools, New Study Finds
By Movieguide® Contributor
A recent study found that most Americans oppose cell phone use in schools in some form.
After surveying 2,000 candidates, Talker Research discovered 71% of Americans support cell phone limitations in schools, while 29% oppose restrictions. The news comes as Texas prepares to vote on a statewide ban of mobile devices in schools.
Over half of the survey’s respondents said they want phones banned in elementary schools, while 49% want bans in middle schools. There is less support for bans for older kids, as only 45% support restrictions for high school. It seems that many believe younger kids are at the highest risk of being distracted with devices in school.
However, 78% think that phones distract students, in general, during school time. Slightly fewer respondents (72%) think children spend too much time on screens overall. Cyberbullying is also cause for concern, as 47% of respondents cite it as a reason for bans. Less than half (45%) are concerned about students using AI to cheat on their assignments.
Gen Z is the strongest opponent to bans — only 41% of Gen Z respondents oppose restrictions, while only 26% of Baby Boomers oppose them. This suggests that the younger crowd may view technology more as tools, whereas the older crowd views it as a harmful distraction.
Only 40% of parents with elementary-age kids support a ban at that level, while 54% of all respondents do support a ban at that level. Only 39% of parents of middle schoolers support a ban at that level while 49% of total respondents do. The same pattern applies to parents of high schoolers, with an 11% difference.
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Parents of adult-age children show “above-average” support for device restrictions, regardless of a child’s age. This may indicate that parents’ current concerns are about staying in touch with their kids.
Of those who oppose bans, 58% say the reason is because parents need to be able to contact their children at all times.
One parent said she doesn’t support bans because she read a text exchange between a teen and her mom when the teen was in an active shooter situation at school. In that intense and dangerous event, the teen gained comfort from texting her mom.
“It made me realize that the idea of schools going phone-free just doesn’t work for me,” she said.
High school principal Jose Lebron said parents made an uproar when he banned cellphones after he started his job.
“They say, ‘If something happens, my child needs to get in contact with me,’” he said.
Though there is much support for restrictions, only 19% want to completely restrict phones in schools. Most of the respondents (56%) want phones to be allowed only in breaks, lunch, or free periods, while 11% want phones only used for educational purposes. Even less popular is the opinion that students should have completely unrestricted phone use—only 8% of respondents thought so.
Overall, the results from the study suggest that most lean toward implementing responsible technology use rather than outright bans.
READ MORE: GOOGLE’S NEW PARENT CONTROL FEATURE BLOCKS CELL PHONE USE AT SCHOOL
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