Public Schools Leader Urges Washington State Districts To Devise Rules Limiting Smartphone Use

(BigStock Photo)

The head of Washington’s public schools on Wednesday issued a notice to districts across the state encouraging them to come up with plans for limiting or banning students’ use of cell phones and smart devices on campus and in classrooms.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal asked school leaders to spend this academic year working with their communities to devise regulations and implement them in fall 2025.

With mounting scientific and anecdotal evidence of the academic, mental health, and social harms caused to kids by cell phones and social media, some schools and entire states are already taking action.

Louisiana and South Carolina have laws banning cell phone use during the school day, while Florida prohibits the devices during instructional time, according to EducationWeek. Seven additional states either are requiring or incentivizing districts to develop policies restricting cell use, while two others have recommended policies to educators.

This summer, the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted to ban students from using cell phones and social media platforms during school hours.

And in Seattle, students at Hamilton International and Robert Eagle Staff middle schools won’t be able to use their phones during school when classes start next week, while Rainier Beach High School is prohibiting their use except in designated areas during lunch.

“We know this is a huge shift for our school, but a necessary one,” said Rainier Beach Principal Annie Patu in a letter to students and families this month. “Cell phones have been linked to anxiety, distraction, social media bullying, fights, and numerous other problems, and the most important, disrupts LEARNING.”

Policies restricting cell phone use include exemptions for students with disabilities who use the devices to support their education.

While Reykdal gives districts a year to craft a plan, many families are calling for more urgent action.

In June, parents in Seattle Public Schools launched an online petition asking the district to “institute clear measures to restrict cell phone usage during school time” by this fall’s start of school. The petition has gathered 429 signatures.

Strategies for preventing phone use include placing the devices in locked pouches such as those made by Yondr, or stowing the phones in backpacks stored in the front of a classroom or in storage containers such as hanging shoe holders hung over a door.

More than a year ago, UNESCO issued a call for leaders to restrict the use of cell phones and other technology at schools except for educational purposes. The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in May 2023 warned about the harm caused by social media and its impact on the nation’s youth mental health crisis.

In schools where bans have been approved, educators anecdotally report benefits including increased student engagement, improved mental health, and fewer discipline problems and violent behaviors.