Citing learning distractions & online bullying, school districts impose cell phone bans

School districts are increasingly imposing new restrictions on students having cell phones in their possession on campus or in buildings while schools are “open” for teaching.

The decision to ban the devices marks an intersection with individual safety – students and their parents needing to communicate in cases of emergencies – and huge distractions for both students and teachers.

The subject has made its way to many schools recently, and as a new school year gets underway.

The Marshall County School district in Mississippi was one of the first to ban cell phones as was the Warren County School district in Middle Tenn.

A 2024 Pew Research study found that nearly 72 percent of high school teachers say that students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom, compared with 33% of middle school teachers and 6% of elementary school teachers.

For several years many teachers have held that students cannot have cell phones on during class, but completely banning phones entirely as an elevated measure.

Such moves are deemed bold because over 90 percent of teenagers own a personal cell phone, according to multiple studies.

Another factor weighing in on some authorities’ move to ban cell phones involves cyberbullying. Online harassing among students if often cited for teenager depression, poor grades and mental health challenges.

Policies that aim to promote higher learning in the face of unyielding cellular technology, including social media apps is poised to face all kinds of pressures. Such intersections will likely face moving sidewalks, conditional changes and tough enforcement.