The New Hampshire’s Cell Phone ban is a big improvement to the school system and it’s leaving people in a state of worry. Numerous state governments have been acquiring this law. A surge of K-12 cell phone bans occurred before the 2025 school year, with 22 states enacting laws or policies requiring bans or limitations on cell phone use. The start date of the cell phone ban varied by state, many enacting new restrictions for the 2025-2026 school year. Some states did have restrictions prior to that. The first enactment of this was in Florida 2023, Texas and other states shortly took effect for this school year. They also did this because it was a big distraction to students and would draw attention away from the teachers’ learning.
A positive for this is because they hope it will improve academic performance. AP news stated that banning cell phones can lead to improved test scores, particularly among lower-achieving students . By removing a major source of distraction, educators aim to increase student engagement and performance.
The ban has promoted social development, excessive screen time and a focus on social media can detract from in-person socialization, leading to loneliness. A phone ban encourages students to interact with their peers and build relationships face-to-face, stated by Devika Rako.
There have been concerns by teachers and parents that this got spread widely because it was a huge change. The cell phone ban was also a significant distraction to students which affected the teachers. AP news said that Florida’s 2023 state cell-phone ban created an explosion of interest and legislature in other states, leading to more than cell-phone bans that have state law. They also did this because it was a big distraction to students and would draw attention away from the teachers’ learning.
In one of our sources it states that the cell phone ban can,Devika Rao stated “ improve focus, enhance mental health, and boost social interaction.”Even though this cell phone ban can improve many aspects of school life and social life, cell phone use has a negative impact on people’s mental health especially with social media.
