San Francisco –

In California, a high school teacher complained about students watching Netflix on their phones during class. In Maryland, a chemistry teacher said students used gambling apps to place bets during class.

Educators across the country say students are regularly sending Snapchat messages, listening to music and shopping online in class, and there are countless other examples of how smartphones can distract from teaching and learning.

Today, the impact of cell phones on American teenagers is well-documented, but teachers say parents are often unaware of the extent to which students are using their phones in the classroom. A growing number of educators and experts are agreeing on how to deal with the problem: ban cell phones in the classroom.

James Granger, who asked students in a science class at a Los Angeles-area high school to put their phones away, said: “Students used to know they weren’t supposed to use their phones in class. Those days are gone. Back.” in a “cell phone cubby” with numbered slots. “The only effective solution is to take cell phones away from students.”

Most schools have established rules regulating students’ cell phone use, but enforcement is not ideal. A growing number of state and federal leaders have begun supporting cell phone bans in schools and proposing new ways to limit use of the devices.

The latest state intervention comes in Utah, where Republican Gov. Spencer Cox last month urged all school districts and the state board of education to remove cellphones from classrooms. He cited studies that show student learning improves when phones are taken away, distractions are reduced and students are more likely to talk to each other.

“We just need a space where we can be six to seven hours a day where kids are not tied to these devices,” Cox told reporters this month. He said his initiative, which is non-binding, is a step toward protecting Utah. part of a legislative push to keep state children safe from the harms of social media.

Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on cell phone use in schools. A law that took effect in July requires all Florida public schools to ban students from using cellphones in class and block access to social media through school district Wi-Fi. Some school districts, including Orange County Public Schools, go a step further and ban cell phone use throughout the school day.

Oklahoma, Vermont and Kansas have also recently introduced so-called “phone-free schools” legislation.

Two U.S. senators, Republican Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Democrat Tim Kaine of Virginia, introduced legislation in December to regulate the use of cellphones in schools on student mental health and academic outcomes. Federal study on effects of grades. They are one of several bipartisan coalitions calling for stricter rules on social media companies and improved online safety for children.

Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit the use of cell phones in school for non-academic purposes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

But this number is misleading. This does not mean that students are complying with these bans, nor does it mean that all these schools are enforcing these bans.

Just ask the teacher.

“Cellphone use is out of control. I mean, even in my own classroom, I have no control over it,” said Patrick Truman, who teaches at a Maryland high school that bans students from classroom use using your mobile phone. Each teacher is responsible for enforcing the policy, so Truman purchased a 36-slot box to store student cellphones. Still, students tuck their phones in their laps or under books every day as they play video games and check social media.

Tired of being the call police, he came to a reluctant conclusion: “The students who called were at least quiet. They weren’t behavioral problems.”

A study last year by Common Sense Media found that 97 percent of kids use cell phones during school hours, and kids say school cell phone policies vary — often from one classroom to the next — and are not always enforced.

For cellphone bans in schools to be effective, school administrations must be responsible for enforcing them, rather than leaving the task to teachers, educators and experts say. The Campaign for Cellphone-Free Schools, an advocacy group formed last year by concerned mothers, said policies that allow students to carry phones in backpacks, as many schools do, are ineffective.

Kim Whitman, co-founder of the organization, said: “If the bag is on the floor next to them, it will make a buzzing noise and distract them, and they will want to check the bag. “The group recommends that schools require mobile phones to be turned off and locked up throughout the day.

Some students say such policies take away their autonomy and cut off their primary means of communication with family and friends. There was also opposition from parents who feared they would be cut off from their children if there was an emergency at school. Whitman recommended that schools make exceptions for students with special education and medical needs and inform parents of expert guidance that cellphones can distract students during emergencies.

Jaden Willoughey, 14, shared the same concern about not being able to contact his parents in the event of a crisis. But he also sees the benefits of turning in cellphones at school.

Jaden is a freshman at Delta High School in rural Utah, where students are required to check their phones at the door when entering each class. The school has about 30 classrooms, each with a cell phone storage unit that looks like an outside shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots inside.

“It helps you focus on your work and make it easier to pay attention in class,” Jaden said.

Classmate Mackenzie Stanworth, 14, said it’s hard to ignore her phone if it’s within easy reach. “It’s a relief to get away from social life on screens and phones and actually talk to people face to face,” she said.

“It took several years to adjust the cell phone policy and find a system that works,” said Jared Christensen, the school’s vice president.

“It was a battle at first. But it was well worth it,” he said. “Students are more attentive and engaged in class. Teachers are able to teach without competing with their phones. Student academic performance has also improved,” he said, citing tests that were at or above the state average for the first time in years score. “I can’t say for sure it’s because of this policy. But I know it’s helpful.”

The next battle, he said, will be against headphones and smartwatches. Even with phones hidden in bags, students have been caught listening to music with air pods hidden in their hair or under their hoodies. “We haven’t included earplugs in our policy yet. But we’re getting there.”