Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states
4 hours, 36 minutes ago

Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states

Associated Press  

— Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects on young people’s lives, has said schools need to provide phone-free times. Kim Whitman, co-founder of the Phone Free Schools Movement, said the issue is catching on because parents and teachers in both red and blue states are struggling with the consequences of kids on mobile devices. At least eight states — California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia — have enacted measures banning or restricting students’ use of cellphones in schools. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, said she agrees about the dangers of social media on children but that the bans sought by states are taking too broad of an approach.

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History of this topic

New Brazil law restricts use of smartphones in elementary and high schools
2 days, 12 hours ago

New Brazil law restricts use of smartphones in elementary and high schools

Live Mint  

SAO PAULO — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday signed a bill restricting the use of smartphones at school, following a global trend for such limitations. A survey released in October by Brazilian pollster Datafolha said that almost two-thirds of respondents supported banning the use of smartphones by children and teenagers at schools. “There's still a lot …

Confiscation. Calls home. Sealed pouches. Why schools struggle to ban cellphones
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Confiscation. Calls home. Sealed pouches. Why schools struggle to ban cellphones

LA Times  

Angelica Zamora-Reyes, a senior at Downtown Magnets High School, works on her smartphone at her home in Los Angeles in July. “That’s why rules limiting phone usage in a consistent manner for all in a given setting like schools are more likely to be effective than individual approaches by individual parents, or even individual teachers.” It also may be easier …

‘Turned off and stored.’ LAUSD reveals details on school cellphone ban to begin Feb. 18
2 months ago

‘Turned off and stored.’ LAUSD reveals details on school cellphone ban to begin Feb. 18

LA Times  

Students retrieve their cellphones from pouches where they are stored during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif. Los Angeles Unified has offered the first details of what a cellphone-free school day will soon look like as educators attempt to break the digital-device obsession of a generation of students, aiming to get them off their screens and …

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cell phone ban
2 months, 1 week ago

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cell phone ban

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Since the beginning of the 2024 …

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cellphone ban
2 months, 1 week ago

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cellphone ban

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s no surprise that students are pushing back on cellphone bans in classrooms. But a survey sent out by the South Florida school district earlier this fall found that of the more than 70,000 students, teachers and parents surveyed, nearly one in five parents believe the cellphone ban is having a negative impact on their student’s wellbeing. …

Banning kids from using smartphones? Yeah, right!
3 months ago

Banning kids from using smartphones? Yeah, right!

The Independent  

The debate around kids and smartphones has been rumbling on for about as long as they have been in existence. But this so-called Smartphone Free Childhood “pact” currently gaining momentum online – with campaigners urging education secretary Bridget Phillipson to take action to curb the use of smartphones in schools – has particularly irked me. This was especially true for …

Student phone access in California school districts will be restricted under new laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom making state the latest to limit cell phones in classrooms
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Student phone access in California school districts will be restricted under new laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom making state the latest to limit cell phones in classrooms

Daily Mail  

California schools will be required to restrict students' smartphone usage under a new law amid growing concern over social media and children's mental health. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Monday a bill that requires schools to limit or ban the use of smartphones, in an effort to minimize distractions in the classroom and 'help students focus on …

California orders schools to restrict cellphone use amid student distractions, anxiety
3 months, 3 weeks ago

California orders schools to restrict cellphone use amid student distractions, anxiety

LA Times  

Students retrieve their cellphones from pouches where they are stored during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill into law that will require California school districts to restrict or ban student cellphone use, thrusting the state with the largest K-12 population in the nation into the forefront of a …

Opinion: Los Angeles school kids, get off your damn phones! You'll thank us later
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: Los Angeles school kids, get off your damn phones! You'll thank us later

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District will ban cellphones in classrooms starting in January. About a week later, I found myself among hundreds of parents in a Zoom meeting that was billed as a chance for Los Angeles Unified School District parents to discuss the district’s new policy banning smartphones during the school day. That realization prompted one father to …

Sweden joins drive against excess screen time
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Sweden joins drive against excess screen time

China Daily  

Sweden's government has become the latest in Europe to work on drafting legislation banning mobile phones in schools because of the physical and mental damage being done to young people by excessive screen time. A lack of physical activity linked to excessive screen time was even resulting in youngsters developing physical ailments more usually associated with the elderly, he added, …

Indiana's cellphone ban means less school drama. But students miss their headphones
4 months ago

Indiana's cellphone ban means less school drama. But students miss their headphones

NPR  

Indiana's cellphone ban means less school drama. "And last year, I had a whole bunch of missing assignments," says Jadon, a sophomore at Beech Grove High School near Indianapolis. Beech Grove City Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack says she expected more pushback and disruption from students in reaction to the new law, but their response so far has been "absolutely incredible." …

Dutch primary schools also banning smartphones as remaining students return to class
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Dutch primary schools also banning smartphones as remaining students return to class

NL Times  

Kids in the Noord region return to school today, and with that, the summer vacation is officially over and the academic year has started. As of today, primary school students are also not allowed to bring mobile phones, smartwatches, or other devices into the classroom. Many schools in the Centrum and Zuid regions implemented the ban in the past two …

Will students really get off cellphones? California’s Phone-Free Schools Act, explained
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Will students really get off cellphones? California’s Phone-Free Schools Act, explained

LA Times  

William Schnider, a 17-year-old at Van Nuys High School and a student in the medical magnet program, has said he is against the cellphone ban announced by Los Angeles Unified School District. “We obviously require districts to take action by passing a policy to limit smartphone use, but we don’t tell them exactly how they have to do that.” Many …

France looking to ban phones in school
4 months, 2 weeks ago

France looking to ban phones in school

China Daily  

France is to try out a ban on mobile phones at school for students aged 15 and under in an effort to give youngsters a "digital pause". The report noted what it said was "a very clear consensus on the direct and indirect negative effects of digital devices on sleep, on being sedentary, a lack of physical activity, and the …

France looking to ban phones in school
4 months, 2 weeks ago

France looking to ban phones in school

China Daily  

By JULIAN SHEA in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2024-08-29 09:41 France is to try out a ban on mobile phones at school for students aged 15 and under in an effort to give youngsters a "digital pause". The report noted what it said was "a very clear consensus on the direct and indirect negative effects of digital …

California passes school cellphone restrictions. But some students find workarounds
4 months, 2 weeks ago

California passes school cellphone restrictions. But some students find workarounds

LA Times  

Student use their cellphones after unlocking the pouches that secure them from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo. David and former Dymally teacher Ryan Quinn said students have brought multiple phones to school or bought their own magnet to unlock the pouch — and some even charge other students to use it. This way, Johnson …

Editorial: Yes, more schools should ban student cellphones
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Editorial: Yes, more schools should ban student cellphones

LA Times  

William Schnider, a 17-year-old rising senior at Van Nuys High School, is against the upcoming cellphone ban in Los Angeles schools but says he understands why it is going to be enacted. Opinion Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools L.A.’s principals and teachers need a policy aligned with current research, which shows that curbing phone use in schools …

American parents want their children to have phones in schools
5 months, 1 week ago

American parents want their children to have phones in schools

Live Mint  

“It’s like they don’t trust us,” says Eva King, a 14-year-old pupil at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC. “It would be unrealistic to expect that one thing—social media—is driving adolescent mental health.” Most parents want their children to have phones available at school. In February the National Parents Union, an advocacy group, polled 1,506 public-school parents and found …

California lawmakers continue push to regulate social media despite legal hurdles
5 months, 3 weeks ago

California lawmakers continue push to regulate social media despite legal hurdles

LA Times  

Legislation being considered in California would prohibit social media companies from sending children notifications at night and during school hours. “We need to act now to protect our children,” Bonta said earlier this year, by “strengthening data privacy protections for minors and safeguarding youth against social media addiction.” California Gov. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized to those attending a …

Virginia joins other states with effort to restrict cellphones in schools
6 months ago

Virginia joins other states with effort to restrict cellphones in schools

Associated Press  

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Virginia on Tuesday joined a growing number of states that are pushing for cellphone restrictions in public schools, citing concerns over students’ academic achievement and mental health. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that 76% of public schools prohibited “non-academic cell phone use” during the 2021-2022 school year. For example, Loudoun County Public Schools, in …

Teachers want to expand mobile phone ban at secondary schools after early success
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Teachers want to expand mobile phone ban at secondary schools after early success

NL Times  

Secondary school teachers are generally positive about the government guideline to ban smartphones in the classroom. Most believe the ban led to more calm and concentration in the class, and more than half want to expand the guideline to ban phones from school altogether, according to a survey of 4,206 secondary school staff members by the teacher’s union AOb. According …

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban

LA Times  

A high school student look at her phone in 2019. Now, our letter writers are once again united, but this time in praise: With barely any exceptions, they’re writing in approval of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s ban on phones during the school day. To the editor: I just finished my 29th year teaching high school English and would …

Los Angeles moves to ban smartphone use in school
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Los Angeles moves to ban smartphone use in school

Raw Story  

Education bosses in Los Angeles voted Tuesday to work towards a complete ban on the use of smartphones in the city’s schools. “Schools that have…already implemented a phone-free school day report incredible results — kids are happier, they’re talking to one another, their academics are up,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the ban. It says eliminating phone and …

Can LAUSD's cellphone ban help break kids' addiction?
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Can LAUSD's cellphone ban help break kids' addiction?

LA Times  

Smartphones in schools are distracting for students, and honor codes dictating no phone use make more work for teachers and staff who then have to police their use. It will not be easy, but schools are the best place to curb the overuse of cellphones and help break the addiction, writes columnist Robin Abcarian: “It’s very difficult to control our …

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools
6 months, 4 weeks ago

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he wants to restrict students’ usage of smartphones during the school day, citing the mental health risks of social media. “We support legislation which empowers school leaders to make policy decisions at a local level that reflect their community’s concerns and what’s necessary to support their students,” spokesperson Troy Flint …

Column: Los Angeles public schools will ban cellphones. What’s not to like?
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Column: Los Angeles public schools will ban cellphones. What’s not to like?

LA Times  

Every time I write about smartphones taking a toll on adolescents, I get tut-tutted by critics accusing me of promoting moral panic. In a recent Times opinion essay, Los Angeles Board of Education member Nick Melvoin called for a ban on smartphones in L.A.’s public schools. In Spain, he added, the test scores of students at schools that have banned …

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban
6 months, 4 weeks ago

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District board is considering a resolution that would ban student cellphone use. It directs staff to “develop and present to the public” policies that would prohibit student use of cellphones and social media “during the entire school day,” including lunch and breaks. “Simply put, they make kids more depressed and just plain dumber.” District high …

Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools
7 months ago

Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools

LA Times  

Smartphones in schools are distracting for students, and honor codes dictating no phone use make more work for teachers and staff who then have to police their use. In psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Creating an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” he shows how the use of smartphones and social media, as …

Why would parents resist school phone bans? Understanding how fear of shootings plays a role.
7 months, 1 week ago

Why would parents resist school phone bans? Understanding how fear of shootings plays a role.

Slate  

Earlier this year, when the Kansas House Education Committee introduced a bill that would require all school districts in the state to prohibit the use of cellphones during school hours, Kim Whitman, a mother of two and co-founder of the Phone-Free Schools Movement, reached out to her state representative to get a sense of whether she planned to support it. …

MPs call for next government to consider smartphone ban for under-16s
7 months, 3 weeks ago

MPs call for next government to consider smartphone ban for under-16s

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The House of Commons Education Committee said tougher guidance on mobile phones in schools …

School ban on phones results in concentration and conversation
7 months, 3 weeks ago

School ban on phones results in concentration and conversation

Dutch News  

Pupils no longer allowed to use their mobile phones in school are chatting to each other more and are better able to concentrate but not all are happy, a survey by the Radboud University in Nijmegen has shown. The research team gauged the opinions of some 1,000 parents, pupils and teachers at two schools in Nijmegen both before and three …

The government should fund phone lockers in schools to stop children from using them during the day, Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak
8 months, 2 weeks ago

The government should fund phone lockers in schools to stop children from using them during the day, Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak

Daily Mail  

Tory MPs last night urged Rishi Sunak to fund the installation of mobile phone lockers in schools to prevent children from using them during the day. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan issued new guidance to schools in February urging head teachers to ban the use of smartphones in schools, including during break periods. In their letter today, MPs urge the PM …

Phone ban could improve school performance and student wellbeing, study says
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Phone ban could improve school performance and student wellbeing, study says

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

School tries to break pupils’ addiction to smartphones with 12-hour day
8 months, 3 weeks ago

School tries to break pupils’ addiction to smartphones with 12-hour day

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A school is introducing a 12-hour day this week in …

Kids are using phones in class, even when it’s against the rules. Should schools ban them all day?
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Kids are using phones in class, even when it’s against the rules. Should schools ban them all day?

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — In California, a high school teacher complains that students watch Netflix on their phones during class. Those days are gone,” said James Granger, who requires students in his science classes at a Los Angeles-area high school to place their phones in “a cellphone cubby” with numbered slots. They are not a behavior issue.” A study last year …

’Today we help….’: UK PM bans mobile phones across England schools
10 months, 3 weeks ago

’Today we help….’: UK PM bans mobile phones across England schools

Live Mint  

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has banned mobile phones across all schools in England. PM Sunka said schools that have already banned mobile phones on their campuses have led to a 'better learning' environment'. While many schools around the UK are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results, the British government said the new guidance will ensure there is …

Ministers push ban on mobile phones in school – even on breaks
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Ministers push ban on mobile phones in school – even on breaks

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In new guidance, they say headteachers “can and should identify …

How children torment teachers with smartphones – by one who has been a victim
1 year, 3 months ago

How children torment teachers with smartphones – by one who has been a victim

The Independent  

A trainee teacher in the maths department was shifting from foot to foot outside the head of year 9’s office, glancing down anxiously at his phone. This is policy death warmed up – the Tories have mooted banning mobile phones from schools twice in the last three years, stopping because the majority of schools had lost patience with waiting for …

Grappling with smartphones is one of biggest issues teachers face – Keegan
1 year, 3 months ago

Grappling with smartphones is one of biggest issues teachers face – Keegan

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Gillian Keegan said the Government will update its guidance to urge state schools across England …

Blanket ban of mobile phones in schools across England ‘unenforceable’
1 year, 3 months ago

Blanket ban of mobile phones in schools across England ‘unenforceable’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Plans to introduce a blanket ban on pupils using mobile …

Government to ban mobile phones in schools - even on breaks
1 year, 3 months ago

Government to ban mobile phones in schools - even on breaks

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Many schools already have measures in place to restrict mobile phone access and the …

Study shares findings on students' smartphone habits
1 year, 6 months ago

Study shares findings on students' smartphone habits

China Daily  

Young students in China have relatively low levels of mobile phone addiction, but it still has significant negative impact on their sleep and memory, according to a recent study. Around 80 percent of primary and secondary school students do not have mobile phone addiction, which can be attributed to strict restrictions on phone use at schools, the study said. The …

No mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches in Netherlands classrooms. Here's why
1 year, 6 months ago

No mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches in Netherlands classrooms. Here's why

Hindustan Times  

The Netherlands said that it will ban mobile phones from classrooms as it aims to stop tech disrupting lessons. The Dutch government said that mobiles, tablets and smartwatches are getting in the way of students' learning and will not be allowed in class from next year. For this reason, mobile phones, as well as tablets and smartwatches, will no longer …

Majority of teachers want national ban on phones in class: survey
1 year, 9 months ago

Majority of teachers want national ban on phones in class: survey

Dutch News  

The majority of members of teaching union AOb are in favour of a government imposed ban on mobile phones in class, a survey among some 8,400 teachers has shown. While just 54% and 57% of primary and trade school teachers back a ban, 73% of secondary school teachers said they wanted the phones to go. But one thing is clear: …

Majority of teachers want national ban on phones in class: survey
1 year, 9 months ago

Majority of teachers want national ban on phones in class: survey

Dutch News  

The majority of members of teaching union AOb are in favour of a government imposed ban on mobile phones in class, a survey among some 8,400 teachers has shown. While just 54% and 57% of primary and trade school teachers back a ban, 73% of secondary school teachers said they wanted the phones to go. But one thing is clear: …

US School Bans Phones on Campus After Students use Them Excessively
2 years, 2 months ago

US School Bans Phones on Campus After Students use Them Excessively

News 18  

A US school has banned the use of smartphones on campus after students were found to be using them excessively. According to The Wall Street Journal, students frequently looked down at their phones during meals and even in class, where phones were prohibited. Read | Annual Pollution-led School Closures Affect Learning, Experts Suggest ‘Institutionalising’ Bad Air Breaks The decision to …

Schools clash with parents over bans on student cellphones
2 years, 2 months ago

Schools clash with parents over bans on student cellphones

Associated Press  

Cellphones — the ultimate distraction — keep children from learning, educators say. Shannon Moser, who has students in eighth and ninth grades in Rochester, New York, said she felt parents were being pushed away when the Greece Central School District this year began locking away student phones. And many school officials may feel empowered to ban the devices, given growing …

Ministry bans smartphones in all schools
3 years, 11 months ago

Ministry bans smartphones in all schools

China Daily  

Primary school students take photos of sailboats during an outdoor course in Qingdao, Shandong province, in March, 2018. The 17-year-old, now a high school student in Changsha, Hunan province, said his school does not allow students to bring cellphones to campus and he never does. Parents will now need to submit a written application if their child needs to bring …

Banning mobile phones in schools not a clear-cut solution
5 years, 6 months ago

Banning mobile phones in schools not a clear-cut solution

ABC  

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino's announcement mobile phones will be banned for all students at state primary and secondary schools is certainly a bold move. New York reversed the ban The New South Wales Government announced a review into the benefits and risks of mobile phone use in schools in June 2018, led by child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg. At the …

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