Seventeen states and the District of Columbia began new restrictions on student cellphone use this school year, raising the total to 35 states with laws or rules limiting phones and other electronic devices in schools. Some states ban phones throughout the school day, while others restrict use only during class time or for certain grade ranges, with variations like "bell-to-bell" bans for K-8. Support for restrictions spans both Democrats and Republicans amid concerns that phones harm children's mental health and distract from learning, although some researchers find the evidence mixed. Students and schools are adapting with measures like magnetic pouches and locked storage.
Kentucky is one of 17 states and the District of Columbia starting this school year with new restrictions, bringing the total to 35 states with laws or rules limiting phones and other electronic devices in school. This change has come remarkably quickly: Florida became the first state to pass such a law in 2023. Both Democrats and Republicans have taken up the cause, reflecting a growing consensus that phones are bad for kids' mental health
Phones are banned throughout the school day in 18 of the states and the District of Columbia, although Georgia and Florida impose such "bell-to-bell" bans only from kindergarten through eighth grade. Another seven states ban them during class time, but not between classes or during lunch. Still others, particularly those with traditions of local school control, mandate only a cellphone policy, believing districts will take the hint and sharply restrict phone access.
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