Florida was the first state of passing a law Regulation of use Mobile phones in schools In 2023, just two years later, half of all states have laws in place – they are likely to act soon.
Bill bills have spread through legislative bodies this year in various states such as New York And Oklahoma, which reflects wide consensus that phones are bad for children.
Last week, Conettec Jennifer Lieber, a democracy and co -chair of the General Assembly’s Educational Committee, described phones “cancer on our children” that “leads isolation and loneliness, reduce attention and great effects on social and emotional luxury but also learning.”
Republicans express similar feelings.
“This is not just an academic bill,” said Republican Scott Hilton after Bill Georgia, who only prohibits phones in the K-8 rows. “This is a draft law on mental health. It is a bill for public safety.”
Until now, 25 laws have approved, with eight other states and Colombia province implements rules or submit recommendations to local areas. From the states, I acted 16 this year. Only Tuesday, Alaska lawmakers asked to organize mobile phones when they exceeded an educational package by Republican Governor Mike Denvi who caused veto against unrelated reasons.
More procedures come as the bills are awaiting the signing of the ruler or the veto in Florida, Massouri, Nebraska and New Hampsheer.
Teachers and officials have long known mobile phones of the main deviations in learning: a PEW 2023 survey showed 72 % of high school teachers View mobile phones as a major problem in their classroom. And the American surgeon, Dr. Vivek Mortth I issued a consultant On the effects of social media on the mental health of young people.
Regardless of the academic benefits, the restrictions of mobile phones in social development and the creation of a community in the school can help. Wittman, co -founder of Phone Free, said that schools “allow phones to be present, it is difficult for students to communicate and create a sense of belonging.”
More focus on the ban throughout the school day
When Florida acted for the first time, lawmakers ordered the banning of phones during the educational time while allowing them between classroom or lunch. But now there is another draft law awaiting the work of the state governor, Ron Desantis, who goes further. Throughout the school day, phones for primary and middle schools will be banned.
The nine states and boycott of Colombia have a ban on school day, most of them for students in grades from kindergarten to the twelfth grade, and they are now outperforming the number of seven states with an educational time ban.
Northern Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong described the ban throughout the school day as a “big victory” law.
“The teachers wanted it. Parents wanted it. Schools wanted it. School boards wanted it,” said Armstrong.
Armstrong recently visited Safiya School with such a established ban. He said he saw children participating with each other and laughing at the tables during lunch.
The Bell-To-Bell ban was partially promoted by Excelined, Think Think Tank, which was founded by former Florida Governor JEB Bush. The group’s political follow -up was active in pressuring the embargo.
Nathan Hoffman, chief state policy manager and advocacy in Excels, said that keeping phones throughout the day stops problems outside the classroom, as is the case when students create or record battles in the halls.
“This is often when you get some of your biggest behavioral problems, whether it is viral or not,” Hoffman said.
Some countries want to determine the provinces
But other countries, especially in the event of strong traditions to combat local schools, impose only that educational areas adopt a kind of mobile phone policy, believing that the areas that you think will take the hint and restrict access to the phone sharply. In Mine, where some legislators originally suggested a ban on the school day, lawmakers are now considering a bitten bill that requires only a policy.
There were a few states in which legislators failed to act at all. Perhaps the most dramatic in Wyoming, where Senators voted on a draft law in January, where some opponents said that teachers or parents should specify the rules.
Where politicians have advanced forward, there is an increased consensus on exceptions. Most states allow students to use electronic devices to monitor medical needs and meet the conditions of special education plans. Some people, with the exceptions of translation devices, allow the English language the first language for the student or when the teacher wants students to use devices in the semester.
There are some unusual exceptions as well. South Carolina’s original policy, with the exception of students who volunteer firefighters. The new law in Western Virginia is allowed for smart hours as long as it is not used for contact.
The opposition is from some parents and students
But to a large extent, the prominent exception was to use a mobile phone in the case of emergency situations. One of the most common objections to parents on the ban is that they will not be able to contact their children in a crisis such as shooting at school.
“Through text messages only, parents know what was happening,” said Tenia Brown, whose daughter was a student at the Ablashi Secondary School, northeast of Atlanta, where shooting was killed in September. She spoke against Georgia’s Law at a press conference in March.
Some laws call for schools to find other ways for parents to communicate with their children in schools, but most of the lawmakers say they support giving students access to their mobile phones, at least after the immediate danger, during the state of emergency.
In some states, students have witnessed in favor of regulations, but it is also clear that many students, especially in high schools, are bothering the rules. Kaytlin VillesCas, a student at the Prairieville Secondary School, on the outskirts of Patton Rouge, Louisiana, is one student who took the battle against the embargo, begins a petition and told WBRZ-TV in August that the Louisiana law requires a ban on the school day. She said that schools instead should teach responsible use.
“Our suggestion is that instead of prohibiting the use of mobile phones completely, schools must transfer instructions on responsible use, and thus build a culture of self -esteem,” said Felicaks on the Internet.
Most countries do not provide any financing of laws
Some states have provided funds to the areas to purchase lock phone storage bags or other storage solutions. New York, for example, plans to spend $ 13.5 million. But countries usually do not provide any money. The legislators in New Hampshire have stripped a million dollars proposed from their bill.
Hoffman said: “Providing some specific funds for this would facilitate some implementation challenges.” “However, most countries did not.”
Kara Tabchenik contributed to this report.
