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Virginia Fights In-School Phone Use With Major Restrictions

Photo from Robin Worrall via Unsplash

Virginia Fights In-School Phone Use With Major Restrictions

By Movieguide® Contributor

A new law in Virginia is restricting phone use in schools.

Executive Order 33 “requires the state Department of Education to team up with partners to set guidelines for restricting phones in K-12 school classrooms by the fall, which would then be implemented by Jan. 1, 2025,” GOOD MORNING AMERICA reported.

The law will establish “cell-phone free education policies and procedures,” citing the “alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents” caused by social media use.

It “doesn’t completely ban cellphones and stipulates that the education department needs to address processes for parents to communicate with their children in times of emergencies and for everyday issues,” GOOD MORNING AMERICA explained.

However, teens spend nearly five hours each day on social media, and phone use in class “leads to lower class material retention, lower grades, and can result in a detrimental impact on students’ ability to focus and engage in class,” per WDBJ7.

“Most alarming is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2019-2021, reporting that the rate of suicide has increased 167% since 2010 for girls and 91% since 2010 for boys. In the same timeframe, boys and girls experienced a spike in depression of 161% and 145%, respectively,” the executive order explains.

“Creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), said in the order.

Movieguide® previously reported on the dangers of social media overuse:

Dr. Moopen said all of the side effects of frequent social media use “can be very detrimental, especially when 95% of teenagers have at least one social media account.”

“They are not ready to navigate these waters,” she explained. “We’re seeing it younger and younger. We’re seeing anxiety sometimes in 7 – 8 year olds. And that’s very distressing. Especially with the lack of therapists and psychiatrists that we have, it’s hard to see this every day.”

She urged parents to have open conversations with their children about the dangers social media poses and create designated screen-free times at home and take electronics away at night. 

“Sometimes it takes extreme measures, but our kids are hurting and we need to step in,” Dr. Moopen said. 

Virginia’s ban follows similar decisions around the country.

“The decision follows a similar cell phone ban announced last month by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The chancellor of New York City Public Schools has said that he, too, is considering a phone ban for the nation’s largest school district,” Reuters reported.

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