More adults in the United States now support banning cellphones in schools for the entire day. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of American adults favor "bell-to-bell" bans, which prevent students from using phones from the start of the school day until the end. Two years ago, only 36 percent supported full-day bans. This marks the first time that more Americans support all-day cellphone restrictions than oppose them.
Support for banning phones only during class time is even higher. The survey shows that 77 percent of US adults agree that students should not use cellphones during middle and high school classes. Support for in-class bans remains strong across all adult age groups. However, support for full-day bans varies by age. Only 28 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 support all-day bans, compared to higher support among older age groups.
Political views also show small differences in opinion. Among Republicans, 81 percent support in-class bans and 55 percent support full-day bans. Among Democrats, 74 percent favor in-class bans and 44 percent support full-day bans. Overall, majorities in both parties agree on keeping cellphones out of the classroom.
More than 20 states in the US have already introduced full-day cellphone bans in public schools. Early research on these policies shows mixed results. One study found that banning phones improved students' mental well-being over time, though it did not lead to higher test scores. Another study showed that school suspensions went up during the first year of a ban before returning to normal levels, while unexcused student absences went down.