SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Last spring, Principal Jon Cardwell met with some of Fairhope High School’s top teachers to address a troubling trend: many students seemed disengaged and unparticipative in class. One teacher’s reaction was particularly eye-opening.
“We’d been considering some sort of (cell phone) restriction, but when a teacher tells you they’re thinking of leaving the profession because they feel ineffective, you have to act,” Cardwell said.
The solution: Starting next month, students at this South Alabama high school will place their phones in “airplane mode” and deposit them in a holding box at the beginning of each class. They can retrieve their phones at the end of the period and repeat the process in their next class. Students will still be able to communicate with parents and others between classes, and seniors with off-campus lunch privileges can use their phones during that time.
While this policy is new to Fairhope High, it’s part of a broader trend. Schools and state legislatures nationwide are reevaluating their electronic device policies in light of increasing evidence that cell phones can harm adolescent mental health.
“There are many districts across the country coming to the realization this is something that needs to be done,” said Mobile County School Board member Don Stringfellow.
A Nationwide Movement
The push to limit cell phone use in schools has led to significant changes, especially in more conservative states like Alabama. Florida was the first state to ban “wireless communication devices” during instructional time through legislation passed in 2023. Indiana and Ohio have followed suit with their own restrictions. Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin also issued an executive order to limit cell phone use statewide, effective January 1, 2025.
This isn’t confined to Republican-led areas. New York City and Los Angeles, the two largest school districts in the country, are also implementing policies to keep cell phones out of classrooms. California Governor Gavin Newsom supports a statewide ban as well.
In Alabama, the push for stricter cell phone policies began about five months ago when the Alabama State Board of Education adopted a resolution encouraging local districts to ban cell phone use during school hours. Montgomery County Public Schools, the state’s fourth-largest district, already enacted a cell phone ban last June, resulting in decreased discipline issues and increased engagement according to staff surveys.
Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey has voiced his concerns about cell phone and social media use in schools, urging state lawmakers to consider further restrictions.
“We need to talk about getting cell phones out of the schools and getting kids off social media,” Mackey said during a June board meeting. “Every system that has managed to remove cell phones from schools has seen discipline scores improve by 35 to 45 percent. It’s unbelievable how discipline changes when cell phones are gone.”
Addressing the Problem
Improved student behavior is a primary reason why Alabama’s largest school district, the Mobile County Public School System, is considering cell phone restrictions for the coming year. Superintendent Chresal Threadgill announced that procedures will be established for collecting and securing phones in lockboxes, pouches, or vehicles.
“It’s time to do something,” Threadgill said. “We can’t sit back and do nothing.”
Mobile County has already seen positive results from a pilot program at two middle schools, where a no-cell phone policy led to fewer complaints and issues. One school even reported a 37% drop in disciplinary actions and improved academic performance.
Other Alabama districts are also considering stricter policies. Madison County School System decided not to allow students to connect personal devices to the district’s wireless networks starting July 1, aiming to reduce distractions and reserve bandwidth for educational purposes.
In Dothan, the city school system’s new code of conduct includes a cell phone ban for its 8,200 students. Geneva County schools will no longer allow cell phones on campus during the day, having previously permitted their use during breaks and lunch.
Safety Concerns
Not all responses have been positive. A Facebook post announcing a cell phone ban at Barbour County High School sparked backlash from parents concerned about student safety.
Kenneth Trump, president of the Ohio-based National School Safety and Security Services, notes that cell phones can create challenges during emergencies, potentially distracting students from safety procedures and alerting assailants to their locations.
Despite these concerns, experts argue that schools can keep students safe without personal cell phones. Digital safety expert Yaron Litwin suggests alternatives like landlines for emergencies, staff training, emergency alert systems, and designated phones in common areas.
Mental Health Issues
Data increasingly supports cell phone restrictions. A 2020 study found that most middle and high school principals believe cell phone use negatively impacts academic performance. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt highlights alarming statistics in his book, “The Anxious Generation,” showing significant increases in anxiety and depression among adolescents. Suicide rates are rising, and national test scores in math and reading are falling.
Experts like Haidt and the American Psychological Association recommend limiting social media access for children. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has even called for warning labels on social media to highlight its mental health risks for adolescents.
Cardwell at Fairhope High notes that excessive social media use is eroding important face-to-face interactions among students. “Many students have more than five different social media accounts, which can be exhausting,” he said.
Alabama lawmakers are still debating legislation to curb cell phone use in schools. Rep. Ben Robbins is working on a bill to restrict social media for those under 16, while Rep. Terri Collins supports a statewide ban on cell phones during school hours.
Superintendent Mackey continues to advocate for stricter regulations as awareness of the dangers of cell phone use and social media grows. “I think the active research and anecdotal data are making it more and more clear that student concentration, academic performance, and behavior improve when smartphones are removed from the classroom,” he said.
