Dive Brief:
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More Americans support school cellphone bans compared to last year, with nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults — up from 68% last fall — saying they would support banning middle and high school students from using their devices in class, according to Pew Research Center data released July 16.
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All adult age groups mostly support banning cellphones in class now, including those under 30 — only 45% of whom supported such bans last year, and 57% of whom support bans now.
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Support for all-day bans in schools also grew from 36% to 44%, with two-thirds of Americans saying all-day cellphone bans would boost students' social skills, grades and classroom behavior. However, only 37% say a complete ban on cellphones would positively impact students' physical safety.
Dive Insight:
Research backing cellphones' harmful effects on children and teens and laws limiting use of the devices in schools have grown over the past few years.
Two years ago, Florida became the first state to issue a statewide ban. As of early July, 32 states have regulated classroom or school cellphone use to some degree, with about half of states banning or limiting cellphones in classrooms, according to Ballotpedia.
In the last month alone, at least four states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws or policies to limit cellphone use in schools.
These laws, which tend to have bipartisan support, are proliferating as research shows digital media — and cellphone use specifically — is harming child and teen development.
Last month, a meta-analysis of 117 studies found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioral problems, and children with those problems rely on screens to cope with those problems.
Increasingly addictive behaviors found in 4,285 U.S. teens were also linked to increased risks of suicidal behaviors or thoughts, according to another study.
That's happening as more kids have access to digital media when compared to years prior.
The share of teens who report being online "almost constantly" has roughly doubled to nearly 50% since 2014-15, according to a July 10 fact sheet shared by Pew.
And 51% of children ages 8 and younger have their own mobile devices, an increase from 45% in 2017, according to data from Common Sense Media released in March. More children are using their devices for gaming and fewer for watching television.
"Screen time is no longer just a mainstay of children’s entertainment and education — it’s now an integral part of daily activities for many families,” said James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, in the report.
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