“This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cellphone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia’s K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators,” Youngkin said in a statement.
The move comes as states around the country increasingly look to restrict cellphone use in schools. Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced his support for restrictions following U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy’s call for tobacco-style warning labels on social media apps to inform users about their deleterious effects on youth mental health.
Other states have taken similar steps. Indiana passed a bill this year that requires school districts to adopt policies banning wireless devices during class, and last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the most restrictive school smartphone law in the country, banning class-time use and blocking social media access on campus internet.
The debate over smartphones in schools has been going on for years. Educators have long complained about students texting, scrolling and playing games during class, leading some to implement their own classroom bans — having students check in or stow away cellphones. Some schools and districts have also taken approaches using tech products, such as magnetic pouches that can lock students’ devices for the day.
Last fall, a study from the children’s nonprofit group Common Sense Media found that 97 percent of teens used cellphones during the school day. Some researchers see cellphones as contributing to the decline in academic performance and rise in mental health struggles among teens. The stakes are higher now as schools rush to make up for learning lost during the pandemic.
Parents are divided on the issue. Some favor the tighter restrictions, while others say decisions about cellphone usage should be left up to parents, or express concerns about needing to contact students in case of an emergency or school lockdown.
Education has been a key focus for Youngkin, who ran for office on a message of “parents’ rights.” The Virginia order is twofold in its reasoning. Curbing excessive screen time, the state argues, will both benefit student mental health and remove classroom distractions to boost learning.
“Creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn,” the order reads.
The order directs the Education Department to host listening sessions for parent and stakeholder input on what approaches would be best for Virginia. The department will then issue guidance on the best practices and policies that school districts can implement. The Education Department should have final guidance ready in September for districts to start to adopt cellphone policies by Jan. 1. The guidance is not a hard requirement.
Sen. Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (D-Henrico), a public-school teacher, commended the approach, which allows the state to take feedback on the issue and then issue guidance for districts to find what works for them.
“It’s really all come to a head, which is why I think you see bipartisan support for doing something,” VanValkenburg said. “Because [smartphones] are a problem. They’re a problem in the classroom, and it needs to be taken care of.”
Part of the goal of the order, according to the Youngkin administration, is to streamline the efforts that individual teachers, schools or districts have made to limit phone use, by creating guidance and best practices for the state.
Many school districts in Virginia already have rules restricting phone usage, and others are in discussions on how to better enforce or strengthen such policies. The Fairfax County School Board voted in May for the superintendent to develop a pilot program to store cellphones during the school day in the state’s largest district. The superintendent is slated to present the pilot program to the school board this summer.
David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said in an interview that schools in Fairfax vary in their level of enforcement of the cellphone policy. He said the statewide guidance could be helpful in bringing consistency across the district.
As a parent of a rising seventh-grader, Walrod said he understood the need for tighter restrictions. While phones can be a powerful tool for learning when used properly, he said, it’s very easy for the devices to become distractions.
“I think anything that we can do to help keep our kids pointed to the direction we want them pointed to, it’s going to be helpful,” Walrod said. “I don’t necessarily agree with Governor Youngkin about a lot of things, but I don’t oppose this.”
Last month, the Loudoun County School Board approved a policy restricting the use of cellphones during class time. The policy, which received hundreds of comments from parents, teachers and students, states that phones and ear buds must be silenced and out of reach during class periods unless “a special circumstance exists and there is a documented accommodation.”
In Arlington County, a parent group has been urging the school district to develop a countywide policy requiring students to stow phones in lockers during the day. In a letter to the superintendent, Arlington Parents for Education argued that the policy would be the best way to curb the effects of cellphones.
“Now that we know the detrimental impacts of personal devices on students’ personal well-being and their opportunity to learn and access the curriculum, the sense of urgency is greater than ever before,” the group wrote in its letter.
Amy Rzepka, a parent of a middle-schooler and an Arlington Parents for Education board member, said in an interview that she was eager to see the guidance from the state and what policy the school district comes up with. She’s a proponent of restricting phone use for the entire school day, not just during classroom instruction.
“With proven negative impacts of phones on students’ mental health and academics, I think it’s really encouraging to see that Virginia is addressing this issue statewide,” she said.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
