It depends on the goal

As states and school districts explore and implement bans on smartphones at school, the question remains: Will these bans improve the student learning environment?

The answer: Maybe.

Overall, 68% of US adults responding to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey say they support a ban on middle and high school students using their phones during class. The biggest reasons these Americans gave for backing the move? Fewer distractions (98%), better social skills (91%), less cheating (85%), and reduced bullying (70%).

And, bans are in place in a number of areas of the country:

As of November 4, 2024, eight states — California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia — have passed policies that ban or restrict phone use in schools. These broadly take effect during the current school year. Twelve more states have introduced such legislation.

Anecdotal evidence suggests some improvement – students actually talking to each other during lunch, for example. Less instances of social media bullying.

Still, the research is uneven in terms of whether these bans will have a long-term, positive effect.

One analysis of studies that analyzed cell phone bans in schools across the globe found:

“Overall, the results indicated that the ban and no ban schools either did not differ significantly, or there were minimal differences, in terms of problematic use of mobile phones, academic engagement, school belonging, and bullying,” the authors reported.

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