According to consumer trends reporter Alex Kai, 56.9% of Americans admitted in a survey that they are addicted to their cell phone. On average, Americans spend 4 hours and 25 minutes on their cell phones per day, checking them approximately 144 times each day. The reliance on cell phones has drastically increased in recent years as technology continues to advance and integrate into our daily lives. But is the use of cell phones progressing us towards an innovative, technological future, or is it distracting us from reaching our full educational potential?
Illustrated by Angie Che
Written by Alyssa Gong
Edited by Catherine Qin
On August 29, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3216, which bans cell phone usage in public high schools during school hours. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Newsom, who has previously voiced his discontent with students' excessive attachment to phones, and will take effect across all schools in California on July 1, 2026. With the bill’s passing, students will be required to hand their phones into “cellphone hotels,” or locked pouches only accessible to school staff. The phones will be confiscated until the end of the school day and given back to students after school hours unless needed for emergency or medical reasons.
According to Newsom, the extent of technology use has gotten out of hand. As a result, he is attempting to implement the phone ban across schools in California, similar to its implementation in other states such as Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Ohio. To determine the effectiveness of the policy, an assessment of the phone ban on students in these curricula was conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. The overall results were mixed, with some studies showing improved mental health, enhanced academic performance, and decreased cyberbullying, while others showed little to no change.
In Orange County, Florida, specifically, the phone ban seems to have both positive and negative results. Taking a closer look into a specific study done at Timber Creek High School, before the ban, students were seen to be extensively attached to their phones. Principal Marc Wacko told the paper, "We saw a lot of bullying. We had a lot of issues with students posting, or trying to record, things that went on during school time." After the ban, there was a significant improvement in student behavior—students were more engaged in class and responsive to greetings, and instances of cyberbullying decreased.
However, the ban also led to unintended consequences. The school, with its strict regulations, now created a prison-like atmosphere, with students having to ask for permission to go to the office to make calls and security officers stalking students during lunch hours to confiscate any use of phones. If caught with a phone during school hours, students may be removed or even suspended from class. Such extreme regulations have caused students to feel the school is unjustly intruding on their freedom. Sophia Ferrara, a 12th grader at Timber Creek states, “They expect us to take responsibility for our own choices. But then they are taking away the ability for us to make a choice and to learn responsibility.”
A general statistical trend shows that the presence of phones is lowering students’ performance, promoting cyberbullying, and contributing to poor mental health. Phones are distracting students, with each new notification interrupting them from learning new content and completing their classwork effectively. In fact, 75% of Americans check their phones within the first five minutes of receiving a notification.
Banning cell phones is observed to help students focus better in school, especially lower-achieving students, bridging the educational gap between success levels. A study completed by Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy in 2016 reported student test scores after the phone ban. Students were seen scoring approximately 6% higher on standardized testing, with more than 14% coming from low-achieving pupils.
Moreover, phones not only provide a distraction but they can be used as a source of cyberbullying. Students can use the protection and reach behind their anonymous screens to harass and insult others through social media and online platforms, especially during loud, buzzing school hours. In 2015-2017, a study on a school that banned cell phones in Spain showed a decrease from 9.5-18% in incidences of bullying after the ban took place, reinforcing the effect of phones on bullying.
Not only can phones cause students to harm one another, but they also serve as a harmful factor to students’ mental health, increasing their anxiety and depression. According to Dr. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, students in eighth grade who spent 10 or more hours per week on social media were 56% more likely to report feeling unhappy. In addition, teenagers who spent 5 or more hours per day on their devices were 71% more likely to show signs of suicide. According to these findings, it becomes apparent that phones do have a negative impact on school environments, and a ban can foster a healthier and more focused learning environment.
However, such issues might not stem from the devices themselves, but rather from how they are used. In a rapidly evolving digital world, students should be taught to embrace and navigate technological advancements rather than abandon them. When used appropriately, cell phones offer numerous benefits. They are equipped with organization tools, such as calendars and note-taking apps, that can help students keep track of their schedules and workload. Furthermore, they provide easy access to an abundance of educational resources, from digital textbooks to homework assignments. This not only increases convenience but also reduces paper waste, making it more environmentally friendly for teachers to distribute and manage materials online. A typical school uses 2,000 sheets of paper per day, meaning 320,000 sheets per year. According to the nonprofit organization Climate Group, schools can save up to 25% of paper consumption with digital resources.
Additionally, cell phones provide safety and convenience. In case of emergencies, cell phones allow students to contact their parents in a quick and reliable way. In a broader sense, they offer a consistent form of communication, permitting students to stay connected with their families throughout the day in case of any needs. Alongside such practical uses, they give teenagers the opportunity to learn independence and responsibility.
High school prepares students for college, where students must learn to manage themselves and their workload. There are no cell phone jails in college and neither will there be at workplaces and throughout adulthood. Instead, schools should focus on teaching students to balance their cell phone use with their academic responsibilities through self-discipline, fostering skills they will need to succeed later in life.
The debate over the use of phones in schools is complex and cannot be easily categorized as entirely good or bad. While phones can offer numerous benefits when used responsibly, they also pose significant challenges if not properly monitored. As technology continues to evolve, banning cell phones outright may seem like a solution, but is it truly practical? Or is the integration of electronics in education unavoidable as society becomes increasingly digital?
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