School phone bans gain popularity as screen time concerns grow

There appears to be a brewing consensus about whether or not screens are a threat to learners in our nation's classrooms. Amid a growing educational debate on tech's presence in schools, two new reports released today highlight widespread concern about the presence of screens and personal devices among school children. A new Pew Research poll found that a majority (77 percent) of Americans support policies that ban cell phone use during instruction periods, and around half support banning cellphones during the entire school day, also known as a “bell-to-bell” phone ban. The same poll conducted in 2024 found only a third of Americans were in favor of bell-to-bell policies. Since then, support has increased across all age groups. Meanwhile, teachers around the world are increasingly concerned about device use, according to the latest Global Education Insights Report conducted by education solutions giant McGraw Hill. Among 1,300 global educators surveyed by the company, the majority listed excessive screen time as the number one obstacle to student success. Almost half of those polled said they have witnessed a decline in focus and emotional well-being among students compared to five