Cellphone bans are quickly spreading across schools in the United States, and most Americans appear to be fine with them—American adults at least. A new Pew Research Center survey published Wednesday found that 77% of U.S. adults support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class. Just 18% oppose classroom bans, while 6% are unsure. And for the first time, more Americans support than oppose stricter bans covering the entire school day. About 48% of adults backed these so-called “bell-to-bell” bans, compared with 43% who opposed them. Another 8% were unsure. Support for these all-day bans has climbed steadily in recent years from 36% in 2024 and 44% last year. The most recent survey of 9,750 adults was conducted from May 26 to June 1. The shift comes as cellphone restrictions are increasingly common in schools. Nearly 40 states require school districts to ban or restrict student cellphone use, according to Education Week.
The bans have also gained momentum amid growing scrutiny on how smartphones and social media affect teenagers. For instance, Meta has faced lawsuits alleging that it deliberately designed its social media platforms to be addictive. European Union regulators have also ordered the company to make major changes to Facebook and Instagram that would make them less addictive. Some countries have gone even further by banning social media use for teens under 16.
