Pennsylvania school phone ban advances as experts warn of adjustment period

Pennsylvania lawmakers are advancing a statewide school cellphone ban that would keep K-12 students off their devices for the full school day. Gov. Josh Shapiro has urged the state House and Senate to agree on final language and send the measure to him for approval.

The companion bills would require public school students to turn off phones or store them away in lockers, backpacks or classroom pouches from the first bell to the last, according to state legislation and a Pennsylvania House release. Supporters say the policy is meant to reduce interruptions, improve attention in class, encourage face-to-face interaction and limit social media disputes during school hours.

Elizabeth Dowdell, a Villanova University nursing professor and forensic nurse who studies internet safety and cyber aggression among children, says the policy could help many students but may be difficult for those who already struggle to control phone use. She describes that pattern as problematic smartphone use, or PSU.

Phone dependence complicates school bans

Dowdell says problematic smartphone use is associated with depression, stress and lower academic performance. She describes it as difficulty limiting phone use, reliance on social media, preoccupation with alerts and distress when separated from a device.

U.S. teenagers spend nearly 8.5 hours a day on screens, according to Common Sense Media research cited by Dowdell. Research cited by health agencies and medical journals links heavy smartphone and social media use among children and adolescents with poor sleep, anxiety, depression, bullying, attention problems and school difficulties.

Teenagers report mixed feelings about their phones, according to Pew Research Center. In a 2023 survey, Pew found that 44% of teens said they feel anxious without their phones, while 72% said in a separate question that they often or sometimes feel peaceful when they do not have one.

Dowdell says students with problematic smartphone use may react poorly at first to a bell-to-bell ban. She says some could show anxiety, irritability, restlessness, attention problems or academic disruption in the first weeks, while school policy research suggests most students adjust over several weeks to a few months as routines take hold.

Rules vary by age and development

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises families to prioritize healthy nonscreen interaction and the quality of media content rather than rely only on time limits, according to Dowdell. The group discourages screen use for children under 18 months except video chats and supports no more than one hour a day of high-quality programming for ages 2 to 5.

Dowdell says elementary-age children are still building attention, teamwork and self-regulation, even as many have their own phones by fifth grade. In middle school, she says phones can appeal strongly to students because they are forming identity and peer ties while impulse-control systems are still developing.

For high school students, Dowdell says a full-day phone ban may reduce social media pressure and classroom distraction, though some teens may view it as a restriction on independence. She also notes that heavier phone use can increase exposure to cyberbullying, harassment, violence and social comparison.

Parents who oppose keeping phones inaccessible during school often cite safety concerns, according to a 2024 National Parents Union poll cited by Dowdell. Those parents said they worried about school emergencies, contacting or locating their children, and coordinating transportation.

Dowdell says school cellphone policies in states with bans and in states that regulate phones during class commonly include exceptions for translation, documented medical needs and approved educational uses.

Families still shape phone habits

Dowdell says parents and guardians remain central to children’s phone habits whether or not Pennsylvania enacts the proposed ban. She recommends predictable rules such as phone-free meals or homework time, keeping phones out of bedrooms at night and using built-in limits on heavily used apps and games.

She also urges parents to discuss online safety, scams, notifications, gaming, social media pressure and the effects of phone use on sleep, mood and school performance. Adults can reinforce those rules by following the same device limits they set for children, Dowdell says.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.