Put them away From the cover
Diving in deeper
Long story short
students to have cellphones but requires that they be turned off during the instructional day, district documents show. Officials at an Aug. 6 meeting considered a stricter policy, but the outcome of the vote was not available as of press time. FISD’s newest policy, which was approved in a split 5-2 vote in May, will require students to store such devices in a Yondr pouch throughout the day. Board members Beau Egert and Niki Rhodes voted against the policy.
Among local districts, PISD was the latest to approve its cellphone policy, doing so at a July 28 meeting—roughly a month after the new state policy was passed. The policy, which adjusts the student code of conduct, will require students to put away such devices during the day. It leaves implementation of the policy up to the superintendent, who must report annually to the board. AISD’s policy as of press time Aug. 5 allows
After the Texas Legislature passed a bill in June that will restrict students’ access to cellphones in the classroom during the school day, districts locally and across the state are approving new policies that either echo the bill or restrict phones further. House Bill 1481 requires students to keep their phones in a backpack during the school day, according to its text. It provides exceptions for students with certain needs related to health or safety. Rep. Jeff Barry, R-Pearland, who supported the bill, said he felt it struck a good middle ground for setting a baseline requirement but also leaving room for districts to adopt their own standards. “The key to this law is to make sure we’re consistent in the enforcement mechanisms for this,” he said. “And making sure that schools and teachers are serious.” To that end, Alvin ISD has had a policy related to cellphones in place for three years now, district officials said. Friendswood ISD’s policy, passed earlier this year, will require students to put their phones away in pouches throughout the school day. The flurry of policies stems from a rise in phone usage, particularly among teens, which officials say brings distractions into the classroom and harms the mental well-being of students. While local officials, teachers and the Association of Texas Professional Educators, or ATPE, all support policies to restrict cellphones, some groups—namely parents— are voicing concerns about safety and a loss of communication with their students.
HB 1481
Friendswood ISD
• Students must keep devices away and in a backpack during the school day. • Exceptions made for medical and safety reasons.
• Students in grades 6 and up must lock phones in magnetic pouches throughout the school day.
Alvin ISD*
Pearland ISD
• Student use of personal communication devices on school property during school day is prohibited. • Devices include cellphones, smartwatches and earbuds. • Exceptions apply for specific needs.
• Students must keep devices put away during the school day. • District employees will confiscate devices that violate policy. • Superintendent will set future regulations.
*AISD'S POLICY IS BASED ON ONE UNDER CONSIDERATION AT THE DISTRICT'S AUG. 6 MEETING. AS OF PRESS TIME, IT WAS NOT KNOWN IF THE POLICY WOULD PASS.
SOURCES: ALVIN, FRIENDSWOOD, PEARLAND ISDS; TEXAS LEGISLATURE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
By the numbers
Data from a variety of public and private sources reveal a growing challenge with devices in schools, as well as the negative effects officials say their high usage has on students. When pitching the bill, Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, and her staff cited numbers from a variety of sources, namely from The Anxious Generation, a website made in tandem with a book by psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Research shows teenagers—and people in general—are seeing higher rates of depressive episodes, mental illness and anxiety, according to data from The Anxious Generation website. Data shows that girls ages 10-14 in the U.S. saw a 400% increase in emergency visits related to self-harm from 2002-2022. Boys saw a 200% increase, data shows. While those who curated the study link those trends to a variety of issues, such as declines in sleep, exercise and time with friends, officials also note the rapid increase in cellphone and social media usage in that time.
Phones and social media in the classroom
53% of school leaders feel students’ academic performance is being negatively impacted by cellphone usage.
72% of school leaders feel cellphones can have a negative impact on students’ mental health.
Breakdown of nationwide teen internet usage, ages 13-17
95% of teens report having access to a smartphone.
Almost constantly
Several times a day
About once a day
77% of public schools nationwide have a policy restricting cellphones.
100%
3%
12%
80%
38% of teens ages 13-17 say they spend too much time on their phones.
60%
47%
40%
39% increase in social media use for eighth, 10th and 12th graders from 2008-2015 150% increase in anxiety prevalence for those ages 18-25 from 2008-2022 71.7% decrease in time spent with friends for those ages 15-24 from 2003-2020
56%
20%
2015 24%
2024 46%
0%
SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCES: THE ANXIOUS GENERATION, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, PEW RESEARCH CENTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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