Should Schools Ban Cellphones in the Classroom?

Schools are getting serious about their cellphone policies. In Flint, Michigan, students will be returning to school in 2024 with a new rule in place: Their cellphones will be banned from school, largely in the name of safety.

“When we think about our scores, when we think about all of the things that are surrounding the hurt and the pain that our scholars are feeling, cellphones are a big deal,” Superintendent Kevelin Jones II said ahead of the Flint school board’s vote Dec. 13. “It’s a big part of the bullying. It's a big part of the reason why our scholars are not on task in class.”

In many cases, schools are getting stricter than ever when it comes to cellphone policies. In Florida, for example, a statewide ban on cellphones during instructional time was adopted last summer. As recently as October 2023, schools in England, France, Finland, and the Netherlands have established similar policies.

Though parents and young people have mixed feelings on these new restrictions, proponents cite the benefits of phone-free school for young people's academic achievement and social well-being.

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