As they prepare for the new school year, many New Jersey school districts face a new problem: what to do about students with cellphones. A study by the nonprofit Common Sense Media found that about 97 percent of teens use their phones during class.
A growing number of school districts are discussing policies that severely limit cell phone use or ban them in classrooms outright.
Negative effect
Why are cell phones a problem in school?
Educators have long worried that cellphones and their connections to social media are distracting students from learning.
Data released by the American Psychological Association underscores the importance of taking cellphones out of the classroom, bolstering efforts to ban them in schools. Their research points out that because children’s brains are underdeveloped, they find it difficult to multitask.
This concern has been further heightened by a new study from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which found a clear link between mobile phone use and reduced academic performance among 15-year-olds. The more time students spend staring at their phones, the worse their academic performance. These students also tend to distract other students in the class.
The PISA study also found a link between student well-being and mobile phone use, with students who use mobile phones and social media more feeling that their lives are worse.
In addition, New Jersey continues to see an increase in social media-induced cyberbullying via mobile phones. In response, the state of New Jersey has also taken some measures. During the last school year, some school districts instituted strict policies regarding cell phone use in schools. A few districts require cellphones to be kept in lockers or special bags and not brought into the classroom during class.
Middletown’s rules appear to be even more aggressive, requiring students to turn off and put away their phones during school hours, including study and lunch. The school board is also considering a new, stricter policy that would ban cell phone use in classrooms, bathrooms, locker rooms and anywhere else outside of students’ “free time.”
Potential conflict
Many questions remain about whether New Jersey can enforce a statewide campus cellphone ban.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Yankin recently issued an executive order requiring the Virginia Department of Education to develop guidelines to limit or ban the use of cellphones by public school students during class.
A spokesman for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Murphy would not rule out statewide action similar to the one taken in Virginia.
Former state Senator Dick Codey introduced a bill to ban cell phones in New Jersey classrooms statewide before he retired in January, but the bill never got a hearing.
Teachers are a staunch supporter of banning mobile phones in schools.
A recent study released by the Pew Research Center found that a majority of school teachers across the country see cell phone interference as a big problem.
Teachers say they are often forced to question students about why they focus only on social media activity and texting, while ignoring classwork.
But imposing a statewide, or even district-wide, ban on campus cell phones in New Jersey also seems to pose a potential conflict with some groups.
The reason why mobile phone bans have not been implemented in many areas is the opposition of some parents.
Many parents say they need to be able to reach their children in the event of school closures, a possible mass shooting or any kind of emergency.
In Middletown, the school superintendent acknowledged that parents challenged the cellphone ban as school board members discussed it, and that the end result could be “difficult to enforce.”
Analysts believe that despite Governor Murphy’s willingness to impose a total ban on cell phones in schools, it is unlikely to enact a statewide policy. Similar to creating policies involving COVID bans, the decision on how to handle school phones may remain in the hands of local school districts.
“There are a lot of reasons why school time, instructional time policies don’t work,” said Sabine Polak, co-founder of the Mobile Phone-free Schools movement.
Pollack said banning cell phones in the classroom places a burden on teachers to supervise classes, students are less likely to interact face-to-face during lunch or other breaks if they have access to screens, and banning cell phones in the classroom allows people to use them for illegal activities such as recording and taking photos.
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 72 percent of high school teachers think cellphones have a big impact on students’ attention, but only 33 percent of middle school teachers and 6 percent of elementary school educators say the same.
Each has new rules
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest school district in the United States, had planned to implement a new cellphone ban by January 2024 that would completely ban the use of cellphones on campus. Students will not be allowed to use mobile phones during classes, exams and other teaching activities. The Los Angeles ban, which goes into effect in the spring semester of 2025, goes beyond the district’s current policy, which prohibits students from using cellphones during classroom instruction and limits the use of social media in schools to “educational purposes.” The school district is preparing measures, including notifying parents and students, setting up lockers and developing disciplinary measures.
According to a spokesman, New York Governor Jochu is considering action at the state level to address the smartphone problem in schools. Similar legislation has been introduced in Oklahoma, Kansas, Vermont, Ohio, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.
Florida became the first state to ban cell phones in class, a bill approved by lawmakers last year that, among other things, prohibits students from accessing social media while using school Wi-Fi.
Indiana lawmakers in April approved a ban on the use of wireless devices during school hours, which applies to cellphones, tablets, laptops or gaming devices.
Minnesota lawmakers also approved restrictions in April that require school districts in the state to place limits on cell phone use by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill in May requiring school districts to develop cellphone use policies that will take effect no later than July 2025. Mobile phone ban: Students must keep mobile phones in designated lockers or by teachers during classes, exams and other teaching activities. Mobile phones should not be used at these times and occasions.
Exceptions: Students are allowed to use mobile phones in some special circumstances, such as emergencies or if the teacher specifically allows them. The school will have a clear policy stating the specific conditions and procedures for these exceptions.
Implementation details: The school will formulate a specific implementation plan, including the setting of mobile phone storage locations, the release of relevant notices and the handling measures for violations. Students who violate the ban may be subject to disciplinary action, such as a warning, mark deduction or other punitive measures.
Parent Communication: The school will explain this policy to parents and provide advice on how to maintain contact with their children outside of school to ensure parents understand and support the policy.
Objectives and Expectations: The policy is designed to reduce distraction from mobile phones, improve the learning environment, and increase classroom participation and academic performance. The school will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and make adjustments as needed.
