In the next month, there will be restrictions and/or outright bans on cell-phone use by students in all Minnesota schools, as mandated by a new state law.
The deadline for implementing in-school cell-phone policies is March 15. And in the next school year (2026-27) there just might be a total ban of cell phones in all classrooms and perhaps in most school buildings, period.
Is that a good idea? Most probably. It’s an incontrovertible fact that cell-phone mis-use by students can have adverse effects on children’s mental health, their sense of security and their right to privacy and, in some cases, students becoming victims of “shaming” and cyber-bullying. Many teachers have noted that cell-phone “addictions” are harming students’ abilities to concentrate and to learn.
Four state senators have drafted a bill that would require a total ban on cell phones in classrooms starting in the next school year. They are Steve Cwodzinski (DFL, Eden Prairie), Alice Mann (DFL, Edina), John Marty (DFL, Roseville) and Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls).
Their proposed bill (S.F.508) would amend the current cell-phones-in-schools law to add the following:
“Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the school district or charter school’s school cell-phone policy must prohibit cell phones and smart watches in school for students in grades kindergarten through 8 and prohibit cell phones and smart watches in classrooms for students in grades 9 through 12. The policy must provide exceptions for devices necessary for medical use, exceptions for devices included in an individualized education program for a student with a disability, or other exceptions at the discretion of the school principal.”
Currently, the law lets school boards decide restrictive cell-phone use policies. Those restrictions include students having to turn off their phones and in some cases requiring the phones be locked up during the entire school day. Sartell Middle School, to name one example, implemented that particular policy last year.
In testimony, Sen. Mann said there is documented evidence some students use cell phones to take pictures of tests, some take photos of other students without their permission and send nude photos of other classmates during online group chats.
Mann also stated cell-phone usage is causing conflicts between some students, conflicts between some students and teachers and an increase in cyber-bullying.
She said school districts that have cell-phone bans in place report improved civil courtesy, healthy social interactions among students and an overall positivity in attitudes and communications among students.
Currently, five states have introduced cell-phone ban policies in their schools: Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia.
Cell phones can play a vital role in young people’s safety and security, such as staying in touch throughout the day with parents or calling 911 if there is an emergency or a threat to one’s personal safety or someone else’s. However, as we have seen in congressional hearings, cell phones can also wreak havoc, causing anxiety, fears, shame and feelings of inadequacy in all too many young people.
Of course, when students leave at the end of a school day and turn their cell phones back on, some of them will likely persist in cyber-bullying, shaming and humiliation of others. That’s where parents come in. They must lay down the law and explain sternly such rude and crude cell-phone behavior is extremely hurtful and inexcusable. And while we’re on the subject, that’s a lesson that some “grown-up” cell-phone users, too, should learn.
