Philly-area teachers and students debate proposed school cellphone ban

Pennsylvania passed a bill this year to pilot cell phone bans in schools. Will this actually improve learning, attention and mental health?

Air Date: August 14, 2024 12:00 pm

A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

More school districts nationwide are banning cell phones – even some states are passing rules restricting smartphone use in classes. This summer, Pennsylvania passed a bill to pilot cell phone bans in schools and New Jersey and Delaware are also experimenting with more restrictive rules. But do cell-free classrooms improve learning, attention and mental health? Are there downsides to confiscating student devices?

Studio 2 was joined by Natasha Singer, a reporter on technology in schools for The New York Times, Chris Lehmann, principal of Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, and we got input from Pa. State Sen. Ryan Aument, the sponsor of the cellphone ban bill, as well as students.

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