It’s Time to Ban Cellphones in Classrooms

By Vin Gopal

As the State Legislature begins a new session, the Senate Education Committee is taking up some important bills to address student success and mental health, including a ban on cellphones.

We also are considering legislation to require full-day kindergarten and will soon address our legislation to reform the way the state funds education.

Parents, educators, and students have already been grappling with the impact of smartphones and social media on student mental health and academic performance for some time.

Numerous studies and the state Department of Education’s guidance on the use of cellphones in the classroom have pointed to research showing the negative impacts of excessive cellphone use on students. Those impacts include increased anxiety and depression, poorer academic performance, inattention, less sleep and more problems sleeping. In a New York Times op-ed published last summer, U.S Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy highlighted the harmful impacts of cellphone usage on youth mental health and stressed the importance of ensuring classroom learning is a “phone-free” experience.

If you ask educators for their observations, many will tell you that mobile devices are a distraction in the classroom. Parents have frequently expressed concerns that cellphones and social media are fueling the rise in cyberbullying.

That’s why my Legislative District 11 partners Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul and I cosponsored a bill to require the Department of Education to develop a cell phone and social media policy for schools to adopt. The Senate unanimously passed the bill last week, just hours before Governor Phil Murphy called for a policy restricting cellphone use in his State of the State address. Our bill is now before the Assembly Education Committee for consideration.

Providing our children the safest environment for learning is critical to their continued success in school and throughout their lives. The constant misuse of cell phones during school hours undermines the learning environment, distracts students, and negatively impacts their focus, social skills, and academic performance. Beyond academics, the mental health effects of constant exposure to social media are deeply concerning. Studies show higher rates of depression, anxiety, and absenteeism among students due to excessive phone and social media use.

We are committed to working with school administrations and stakeholders to enforce a full ban on cell phones during school hours. Classrooms must remain spaces for learning and growth – not digital distractions that harm students’ mental health and development. Together, we can create healthier, more focused learning environments for our youth.

We also sponsored legislation calling for changes to funding for school districts not offering kindergarten services. Kindergarten is a fundamental part of a child’s educational foundation, and it is unacceptable that eight school districts in New Jersey still fail to offer this critical program. We stand with Governor Murphy in demanding an end to state funding for districts that refuse to provide kindergarten. Forcing families to look elsewhere for these essential early learning years is a profound disservice to the children, parents, and communities in these districts.

Our legislation sends a clear message: We will not compromise on this basic educational necessity for our children.