Summary

Cellphone bans in schools are gaining bipartisan momentum, with at least eight states, including California, Florida, and Virginia, enacting restrictions to combat classroom distractions and protect children’s mental health.

Governors from both parties, such as Arkansas’ Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Gavin Newsom, support these measures, citing benefits of phone-free school days.

While some parents oppose bans, citing emergencies and transportation needs, proponents argue phones disrupt learning and may pose risks during crises.

States differ on implementation, from outright bans to district-level policies or funding for phone storage solutions.

  • Flying Squid
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    291 day ago

    In general I think cell phones in school are a bad plan.

    In America when violent terrorists are going to be emboldened by Trump? And after Uvalde? I’d tell my kid fuck the rules, you keep your cell phone on you at all times.

    • @Pilferjinx
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      -315 hours ago

      Wait, you want your kid to be talking and making noise while there’s an attacker?

      • Flying Squid
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        913 hours ago

        Do you only have a landline? Phones these days have the ability to send messages by typing little letters by tapping on a screen and sending those letters to someone else with a phone that has a screen on it where they can type letters back the same way.

        I’m not surprised you haven’t heard about that though, it’s pretty new technology.

          • Flying Squid
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            412 hours ago

            First of all, there are emergency services that could be contacted with this new “texting” technology you apparently haven’t heard of.

            Secondly, if you thought you were about to die, wouldn’t YOU want to tell the people you loved that you loved them one last time? Because I sure as fuck would.

            • @Pilferjinx
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              -211 hours ago

              Hm, phone addiction disrupting child mental development or the very rare chance of a shooter so you and a bunch of people can redundantly alert authorities. Honestly, I don’t have a dog in this. I’m fine with either.

              • Flying Squid
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                211 hours ago

                Sorry, are you under the bizarre impression that teens don’t already have phones?

                Honestly, I don’t have a dog in this.

                You clearly don’t, so maybe let the people who do have kids work this out.

                • @Pilferjinx
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                  -211 hours ago

                  I have a “soft” bias, obviously. But really, I don’t want to antagonize anyone who has a hard opinion on it. You do you, and find out what works best for you and your family.

      • @HeyThisIsntTheYMCA
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        314 hours ago

        I would assume they have learned to read and write by this point

        • @Pilferjinx
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          -214 hours ago

          I assume you mean texting? I wouldn’t want my kids talking or being at all distracted while they’re currently being in the most dangerous situation they have ever faced. But that’s just me, I guess. Maybe the I love you goodbye notes is worth it. I honestly don’t know.

    • @Kbobabob
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      -111 day ago

      Is your kid going to stop the person shooting up the school with their phone? What’s the goal here?

      • Flying Squid
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        1924 hours ago

        I’m not expert on these things, but I hear phones can be a line to the outside world in a crisis. Anyone know if that’s true? Can you use a phone to call people or anything like that?

        • @Kbobabob
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          -1220 hours ago

          You don’t think there would be people, teachers and staff with cell phones?

          • Flying Squid
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            113 hours ago

            I think the more people with ways to get lines of communication out during a crisis involving someone murdering children the better. I’m not sure why you don’t.

            • @theherk
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              111 hours ago

              That isn’t strictly true. A dispatch center will prefer some communication over other. Not saying anything about phones in school specifically, but generally “more comms” is not always a good thing. Better comms is.

              • Flying Squid
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                -111 hours ago

                Just being able to be the first one to contact 911 if they saw the killer come into the school would be enough. But like I suggested to others, giving both parents and kids the peace of mind by allowing them the chance to say goodbye to each other in a country with constant school shootings is an even bigger reason.

                Solve the endless school shootings issue and I will be 100% behind a cell phone ban in American schools.

            • @Kbobabob
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              -112 hours ago

              I’m not sure why you think children should hold that responsibility.

              • Flying Squid
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                -112 hours ago

                It’s not a responsibility, it’s a precaution. Note I didn’t say that I would tell my child what they absolutely had to do. I can’t speak for your kids, but mine wouldn’t need to feel a responsibility because they know the difference between right and wrong and they don’t want people to get hurt, so if they were the first person to see a gunman enter a school, they would want to be the first person to call 911.

                I don’t know what happened with you, but most people don’t suddenly become a self-aware people who care about others the day they turn 18.

                I would also like her to be able to say goodbye and she loves us if she wants that tiny bit of comfort during the last moments of her life.

        • @Kbobabob
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          -1320 hours ago

          Why can’t the adults do it?