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Guest Blog: Olivia Nutter
Hello!
Today's blog post comes from Olivia Nutter who posted an article on the School Principals 411 website. Click above to read from the website, or just read below! Feel free to comment!
Soli deo Gloria
Screens Are Stealing Learning — Is It Time To Take It Back?
As schools nationwide continue to grapple with post-pandemic learning recovery and student wellness, one solution is gaining bipartisan momentum, research support, and — critically — parental backing: restricting student cellphone use during the school day. Recent findings and policy trends suggest the time is ripe for principals to take decisive action.
Parents Want Action
A 2025 report from Yondr, surveying 1,000 parents across the U.S., reveals a surprising generational consensus. A full 89% of parents believe schools should develop a long-term plan for managing phone use, and 56% support either a bell-to-bell ban or total prohibition of student cellphones.
Why such strong opinions? Parents report widespread screen-related issues:
• 84.3% associate their children’s phone and social media use with negative effects like distraction, anxiety, or loneliness.
• 95% believe their children would benefit from time away from screens.
• 66% express concern not just about smartphones, but about overuse of laptops, tablets, and AI.
Even more telling: noticing their child’s screen time has prompted 89% of parents to reflect on their own, yet schools are still expected to take the lead in managing students’ digital behavior during learning hours.
The Case for Restriction
The momentum for cellphone bans is cultural and it’s data backed. In testimony to the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, school and district leaders reported measurable academic and behavioral improvements in schools with bans:
• Student suspensions dropped by up to 54% in schools in Richardson ISD (Texas) implementing bans.
• Teacher retention rose, with one campus reaching 94% retention.
• Instructional time increased, with teachers gaining back more than 10 minutes of active teaching time per period.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, added a crucial dimension: mental health. She testified that reduced phone use correlates with improved attention spans, better cognitive performance, and more in-person social interactions, an important shift as teen depression and suicide rates continue to climb.
Political Consensus, Local Autonomy
For a brief moment, politics aligned on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers across both parties agreed that cellphones contribute to academic underperformance and mental health challenges. However, they also agreed the solution should be local, not federal.
This leaves the onus on districts and principals to craft and implement policies that reflect community needs and research-backed practices. Already, 26 states have passed laws limiting or banning student phone use during the school day.
While some Democrats raised concerns about concurrent funding cuts to mental health resources — noting that tackling tech-related anxiety requires more than just bans — most agreed that cellphone overuse is a real educational issue demanding practical solutions.
Principal Takeaways
Cellphone bans are fast becoming an expectation across the country. With growing research, public consensus, and policy support, principals have both the opportunity and responsibility to lead. Balancing innovation and attention in the classroom starts with one simple but bold step: reducing digital distraction at its source.