You can't bring them to school at all in France or the State of Victoria in Australia.  In the UK, almost all the schools control them in some way and in California a  law asks and allows public schools to ban smartphones and cellphones.

Does your kid take a cellphone to school?  Do their friends?

You may be surprised to find out that over 75% of schools right here in the US told the National Education Center they ONLY allow cellphones at school for academic use.

It's right here in there Digest of Education Statistics

BREAKING NEWS: LA BANS CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL

The nation's second largest school district says, "No phones at school beginning Spring 2025."

The interesting part of this ban is that the school district had a "cell phone ban" in place for years. The problem was it "limited" social media use and only said "no" to cell phones during class instruction (so you can see how that would go wrong!)

With cell phones as most parents know, it's an all or nothing proposition. It really is!

Schools and States That Ban Cellphones From Classrooms.

Cellphones in Classrooms Are Distracting Kids

Our Timer Keeps Kids on Track

Kids Say Cell Phones Are Stealing Their Attention

But more really should. Because 55% of American students told PISA, in their recent Global survey, that they were distracted by cellphones in their classrooms. Here's the chart they published showing the Math Scores and what happens the LONGER cellphones are used at school.

The use of phones and other digital devices can also impact classroom learning. On average, across OECD countries, 65% of students reported being distracted by using digital devices in at least some Math lessons.

"Too Much Cellphone Makes You Stupid."

So said Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut.  Some schools agree and have banned cellphones in classrooms for several months now.  Students and teachers are saying positive things about the no-phones rule.

“I definitely feel I have better grades, I concentrate more in class, and I am not so worried about the drama and if there are going to be fights,” said Analise Torres-Moye, 7th grader told Eyewitness News after 3 months of not having cellphones in class.

Turns out cell phones aren't so great for kids minds...

Teachers Say Kids Are Being Distracted By Cell Phones

PEW just released a poll that states 72% of high school teachers say students being distracted by their cellphones in the classroom is a major problem. 

A London School of Economics study found that students fare better in testing when smartphones are banned from school. In fact, if your kid is struggling, he/she will do  BETTER with a banned smartphone policy.

A US Divided Attention Study demonstrated that indeed, a cellphone in the classroom had a negative effect on tests--especially the all important Final Exam.

The blue bars in the graph below show performance on testing in the classroom and then on tests when cellphones are banned.

Clearly, test scores are better when smartphones and cellphones are not used on school grounds. The London study authors came to the same conclusion:

"We found the impact of banning phones for these students equivalent to an additional hour a week in school, or to increasing the school year by five days," researchers Richard Murphy and Louis-Philippe Beland said. It found that following a ban on phone use, the schools' test scores improved by 6.4%. The impact on underachieving students was much more significant--their average test scores rose by 14%. "The results suggest that low-achieving students are more likely to be distracted by the presence of mobile phones, while high achievers can focus in the classroom regardless of the mobile phone policy," the economists said. ~ by Ivanna Kottasova, CNN Money 

California Has a Bill Allowing Schools to Ban Cellphones

The Governor signed a bill into law in June of 2019 and it now all public and charter schools have the right to say "no phones at school" with a few exceptions:

• In the case of an emergency, or in response to a perceived threat of danger.
• When a teacher or administrator of the school district, county office of education, or charter school grants permission to a pupil to possess or use a smartphone, subject to any reasonable limitation imposed by that teacher or administrator.
• When a licensed physician or surgeon determines that the possession or use of a smartphone is necessary for the health or well-being of the pupil.
• When the possession or use of a smartphone is required by a pupil’s individualized education program.

Saying Yes To California's No Phone Law

San Mateo High School in California was one of the first to take the Governor up on the new phone ban law, but it was San Lorenzo High that set the stage a year earlier.

San Lorenzo High School let kids stay focused on school vs their phones and found that there had been wonderful changes.  According to this report:

• 50% less classroom disruption reported to principal
• Teachers report more classroom time spent on learning
• Better posture with less hunching over phones
• Students are much more social

One student even said his grades were getting better.

Kids actually get to keep their phones with them, they just can't use them.

Phones Get Locked Up

San Lorenzo, San Mateo, and the Manchester Connecticut schools have students put their phones in special locked bags that can't be opened by students. Here's how they work: 

Distraction Is the Key Word When It Comes to Phones at School

Veteran teacher Steve Gardiner says:

"Addiction is a strong word, but it accurately describes the dysfunctional behavior exhibited by teenagers in my high school English classroom when I ask them to put away their cellphones...In a career that spans 38 years, I have not seen any single diversion that so distracts students from reading, writing, thinking, and working...In much the same way a chemical dependency controls an addict's life, my students' cellphones control their lives. Students claim they can read and listen to music at the same time. They claim they can do math and text simultaneously. Numerous research studies state otherwise. The ability to multitask with a cellphone is an illusion. With a phone in front of them, students' thinking is fragmented, as is all their work." ~ EdWeek.org 

No surprise here. The verdict is in: Grades and test results will benefit from the cellphone ban.

A few years ago, I wrote a blog about a teacher who’d made headlines for making her classroom an absolutely wifi-free zone. She did this because of the unknown health effects of EMF’s on herself and her student’s bodies. 

Smarter Mind and Healthier Body When Cellphones are Kept Out Of Classrooms

I bet you can guess where I stand on the subject of allowing EMF's in the classrooms near developing bodies and brains of vulnerable adolescents.

Geometry is hard enough to follow without having the distraction of Instagram or TikTok at your fingertips - especially if you are a teenager with an underdeveloped sense of self-control.

Keeping cellphones out of classrooms will definitely help decrease the ambient levels of electromagnetic or wireless radiation. Less EMF exposure is a really good idea, especially for kids whose bodies absorb more radiation and therefore be subject to more negative health effects.

Every School Should Have A Meter Like This To Make Sure Kids Have A Safe EMF Level In the Classroom Environment

Florida's Cellphone Ban says it, "prohibits students from using wireless communications devices at school during instructional time, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes"

Wouldn't it be great if it prohibited wireless communications period? No wireless WiFi. No wireless laptops. A ban like that would really protect our kids.

Smartphone addiction and things like the ADHD effect are real concerns about cellphone use in general--and this TIME article eludes to a correlation:

“ADHD is 10 times more common today than it was 20 years ago,” Dimitri Christakis, the George Adkins professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Although it is clear that ADHD has a genetic basis, given that our genes have not changed appreciably in that time frame, it is likely that there are environmental factors that are contributing to this rise.”

Part of the problem is the fragmented, action-packed nature of electronic media. Christakis found that faster-paced shows increased the risk of attention issues. The brains of children adapt to that speed, so when they’re forced to work in the slower pace of life, they often struggle to pay attention because it’s less stimulating and rewarding. 

Cellphone Ban Safer For Schools

If EMF pollution and failing grades and test scores weren't enough, SchoolSecurity.org details more systemic reasons for keeping phones away from the classroom. It's not just an errant ringing phone disrupting a lesson either.  

They say, "Cell phones and texting can make it easy to cheat and take pictures of exams. Texting can contribute to rumors and bully culture. Untraceable bomb threats can be placed via cellphone from inside the school. Cell phones can actually hinder a school emergency response during a crisis."

I'm thrilled with the new laws and the fact that teachers and students are seeing positive results. I can't even imagine being a teacher in today's age, taking time out from my lesson to be the cellphone police. Classroom management has to be hard enough.

Teachers and communication experts suspect there is a link to the incoming tidal wave of social anxiety due to the ever-increasing numbers of adolescent owners of smartphones. As Jean Twinge in iGen points out, there was a huge increase of ownership of iPhones from 2010 to the present in that age group. Young teens and tweens who are already nervous with social interaction only seem to get worse with smart devices.

Should Kids Even Have A Cellphone?

Only you, mom or dad, can answer that one. We have a great Guide on what you need to know before you decide it's time for your kid to have a cellphone.

“In order to pay more attention in class—or even outside of school—I recommend trying to obstruct your habits,” says Jesper Aagaard. For example, turn your cellphone or tablet off, or at least put it in airplane mode. Then you won’t wind up checking texts or using social-media sites without thinking. Closing your laptop or tablet and putting your phone away more often could be good advice even outside the classroom. Stresses Harrison: “You’re going to miss out on a whole new and exciting world if you can’t get your head out of your phone screen.”

Original Publication Date: 11/14/2016  Latest Update: 06/18/2024

Here's the Research