Cellphones are disrupting classrooms. What are schools doing about them?

It is a problem that affects every classroom in the country.

Studies show that the use of cellphones by students in the classroom makes it harder for educators to maintain a distraction-free learning environment.

Teachers across the U.S. face a daily struggle to keep students engaged, with students saying boredom is one of the main reasons they use digital devices during class.

In a survey conducted by Wilkes University psychology professor Dr. Deborah Tindell and Dr. Robert Bohlander, 92% of college students reported using their phones to send text messages during class.

According to The Associated Press, complaints from teachers nationwide indicate students watch Netflix, use Snapchat and shop online during classes. In Maryland, a chemistry teacher reported that students use gambling apps to place bets during the school day.

The student behavior in colleges and schools has prompted administrators to create policies to manage cellphone use during lectures.

Distraction, not the device, is the issue

Students identified the top advantages and disadvantages of using digital devices for non-classroom purposes during class.

The most common advantages were “staying connected,” “fighting boredom,” and “entertainment,” while the main disadvantages were “not paying attention,” “missing instruction,” and “distracting others.”

A recent survey shows that 67% of students say the No.1 distraction in a classroom environment is the phone ringing during lectures, followed by students using the device to play video games and students surfing the web.

According to Da Vinci Design High School 9th grader, Matthew Farias, 15, he received over 150 texts per hour from his peers during school hours in Los Angeles. He said that while teachers and administrators have put policies in place, they are ignored.

"I wish they would be completely banned from classrooms, it's a big distraction," said the 9th grader. "I have a phone and I am only supposed to use it to communicate with my parents in an emergency."

Besides phones ringing, there are reports of teacher's complaints of social media use during lectures. Jacqueline Garcia, a former USC instructor, said "it was annoying." She adds, "I asked polity to put away their phones, some would, and for those that didn't, I would ask them random questions to bring their attention back to the class."

"Cellphones were definitely a big distraction in my school," said Luke Bell, 17, a senior at Amador Valley High School in Northern California. The Bay Area student said cellphone use was a daily issue in every class.

Despite negative headlines and growing concerns about cellphone usage's impact on youth, teens continue to use the devices to access social media platforms at high rates – with some describing their social media use as “almost constant,” according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens.

"In every class I attended, the teacher always had to remind students to put away their phones or place them in the phone cubbies," said Bell.

According to a new report from UNESCO, smartphones need to be banned from classrooms to avoid distracting students and disrupting learning.

The United Nations’ education, science and culture agency says that even having a phone nearby when notifications are coming through is enough to break students’ concentration, with one study showing that it can take up to 20 minutes to refocus on learning.

Here’s what school administrators are doing

A Massachusetts high school is considering a policy change to increase student engagement and minimize distractions. Currently, students are only allowed to use their devices in the classroom for teacher-directed educational purposes, during lunchtime, and during class changes. Under the new proposal, phones would be permitted in hallways and cafeterias but not in classrooms. Students who violate this policy will have their phones confiscated and may face disciplinary action. The new policy strictly prohibits taking pictures or videos without permission.

“We believe that this policy will help to reduce the incidence of cyberbullying and other negative online behaviors. By limiting access to cellphones during class, we hope to create a safer and more inclusive learning environment for all students,” said Michael Fiato, head of Lowell High School.

In Los Angeles, some Da Vinci Design high school teachers have been curbing the usage of cellphones by requesting students turn them off or place the devices into a shoe box as they enter classrooms.

"I lost count of how many times a day I ask a student to put the phone away," said a Da Vinci 9th grade teacher who asked that her name not be used because she is not authorized to speak to the media.

The Elida School District in Ohio banned students from bringing phones into the classroom in 2023, which Superintendent Joel Mengerink said resulted in an immediate reduction in disciplinary incidents.

“From our standpoint, cellphones just create a big distraction for everyone,” Mengerink said. “Students focus on whatever the latest message was that they received or sent and it takes them a long time to get their focus back on their school work.”

Here's what states are doing

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she plans to introduce legislation that would allow students to only carry phones that don't have access to the internet. The bill would be taken up in New York's next legislative session, which begins in January.

Last year, Florida became the first state to ban cellphones during class in public schools, as well as blocking social media access on district Wi-Fi. Some districts went further and banned phones the entire school day.

In California, a new bill may add new limitations to cellphone usage on school grounds.

"There is growing evidence that unrestricted use of smartphones by pupils at elementary and secondary schools during the school day interferes with the educational mission of the schools, lowers pupil performance, particularly among low-achieving pupils, promotes cyberbullying, and contributes to an increase in teenage anxiety, depression, and suicide," said California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), one of three state representatives to introduce the bill.

A law signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine orders public K-12 schools to limit how often students check their phones during the school day.

The federal government is also getting involved

Republican and Democratic Senators have flagged tamping down cellphone use as a priority this congressional year. Tom Cotton (R) of Arkansas and Tim Kaine (D) of Virginia secured approval from the Senate Health, Education and Labor committee to launch an Education Department study of school district cellphone policies.

The study would review the impacts of smartphone use during class time on academic achievement and youth mental health. It would also examine the impacts of policies schools have chosen to implement to restrict student cellphone use.

Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cell phones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.