Legislators from Utah propose a bill banning cell phones in classrooms

Salt Lake City, Utah – If a proposed bill is approved early in the 2025 General Session, students in Utah’s public schools might not be allowed to use their phones while in class.

At the moment, individual school districts have their own rules on cell phone use in the classroom. If the law is approved, cell phones will not be allowed in classrooms at any school unless specifically allowed by the administration.

Representative Douglas Welton (R-Payson) and Senator Lincoln Fillmore (R-District 17) are the sponsors of the measure, which aims to lessen the negative impacts of cell phone use on kids’ mental health and academic performance in the classroom.

Sen. Fillmore stated, “We’ve seen a significant impact on both the mental health of our students and the quality of their classroom experiences with the rise of social media and smartphone use.” The purpose of this Act is to enable educators, students, and school districts to establish a more concentrated and efficient learning environment. Thanks to this initiative, teachers will be able to concentrate more on teaching and less on acting as cellphone cops.

The bill is in line with Gov. Spencer Cox’s ongoing anti-social media stance in Utah. During a December 2023 monthly press conference, Cox stated that he would be in favor of prohibiting cell phones in K–12 classes, provided that there were some exceptions, such as allowing phones in case of a medical emergency.

Looking at the evidence linking smartphones to learning loss, Cox remarked at the time that it was “overwhelming.” The head of the Policy Project, a nonprofit dedicated to “removing barriers to opportunity,” Emily Bell McCormick, claimed that cell phones have significantly increased in distracting factors in Utah schools.

According to McCormick, these factors are “disturbing classroom environments, decreasing academic performance, and contributing to bullying and social isolation.” In order to address this spreading epidemic, teachers need help, parents and families need support, and students need direction. In order to change the norm about smartphones in schools, we must act as a group.

Rep. Welton concurred, stating that reducing distractions will only encourage pupils to participate more fully in class activities and raise their academic standing.

Welton expressed optimism for the benefits that districts will provide to their children, saying, “I look forward to seeing how districts will create a more focused and productive learning environment for our students.”