Texas, Florida Schools Enforce Cellphone Bans Impacting Millions

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, Texas has implemented a statewide ban on cell phone use during school hours, requiring students to keep their phones and other digital devices out of sight or stored securely. This bipartisan law aims to reduce distractions, combat cyberbullying, and improve educational outcomes, with many districts like North East Independent School District and San Antonio ISD enforcing policies that allow phone use only during non-instructional times such as passing periods and lunch. Psychologists and lawmakers note potential benefits including decreases in student anxiety and depression over time, increased social interaction, and improved focus and test scores, though initial adjustment periods may involve heightened anxiety. Parents and educators express mixed feelings, balancing concerns over safety and communication access with the need to limit distractions, while schools provide exceptions for medical needs or special accommodations. Similarly, Florida's Hillsborough County Schools have enacted a comparable ban for kindergarten through eighth grade, restricting phone use from the moment students arrive on campus until the end of the day, with high schoolers allowed limited use during breaks. These measures reflect a growing trend in U.S. school districts to prioritize mental health and classroom engagement by limiting digital distractions.