Debate Intensifies Over School Cellphone Restrictions

States and school districts across the U.S. are increasingly debating or enacting restrictions on student cellphone use, with policies ranging from outright bans to district-level decisions. Michigan lawmakers are split between imposing a statewide ban for elementary and middle school students and allowing districts to set their own rules. New York's proposed statewide ban for K-12 schools has broad bipartisan support, while Ohio and Virginia have implemented significant limits, prompting some student protests such as those in Oakwood. At the federal level, bipartisan efforts seek to provide financial incentives for districts to develop and pilot cellphone restriction programs amid growing concerns over learning and mental health impacts. However, legislative attempts in places like Washington State have stalled despite mounting evidence of negative academic and psychological effects from in-school cellphone use. The debate reflects national divisions over how prescriptive or flexible school cellphone policies should be.