Student Perceptions of a High School Wide Cell Phone Ban

Background and Purpose: An overwhelming majority of teens (88-95%) ages 13-18 have a smartphone and 97% of students report using their phones during the school day (Radesky et al., 2023). Cell phone use at school has the potential to negatively impact the overall school climate by distracting students from academic work, contributing to incidences of bullying, and impacting peer-peer and student-teacher relationships (Pew Research Center, 2024). Based on growing concerns and state legislative mandates, some U.S. schools have implemented school-wide cell phone bans. Little is known about student perceptions of school wide cell phone bans. This study explored student perceptions of a cell phone ban at a small high school (~550 students) in the southeastern U.S. Methods: This mixed methods study utilized a sequential 8-question survey and follow up focus groups to explore student perceptions of the classroom and overall school environment since the ban was implemented. Four hundred and forty (N=440) students responded to the survey representing approximately 80% of the student body. Survey respondents were in 7^th-9^th grade (N=200; 45.5%) and 10^th-12^th grade (N=240; 54.5%). Respondents were 49.8% (N=219) female and 50.2% (N=221) male. Sixteen (N=16) students participated in the follow up focus groups. Results: Based on survey results, the cell phone ban had an impact on various parts of the school experience. On average, males felt that teachers spent more time teaching when compared to females (p=.008). 7th- 9th graders more often reported teachers spending more time teaching compared to 10th-12th graders (p=.002). 10th- 12th graders reported feeling more focused on their schoolwork in the classroom, overall, when compared to 7^th-9^th graders (p=.030). The majority of respondents reported feeling more focused on schoolwork (70%) and spending more time talking with friends (55%). Open ended survey questions highlight that most students are disgruntled with the removal of cell phones from the classroom, but several students reported the ban allows them space to focus on learning in the classroom. In the focus groups, students acknowledged advantages (e.g., increased social interaction; improved attention and focus) to the ban as well as challenges (e.g., more disciplinary issues). Focus group response analysis revealed grade-level differences in cell phone ban policy perceptions with older students (10^th-12^th) more likely to recognize the benefits compared to younger students (7^th-9^th). Conclusion and Implications: As cell phone bans increase in popularity in the U.S, school leaders must decide how to comply with legislative mandates. This study shows students recognize the positive outcomes associated with banning cell phone use in school; however, cell phone bans may also be detrimental on school climate. Ultimately, to promote a positive school climate, all stakeholders, to the extent possible, should participate in developing the cell phone policy. School social workers may be positioned to help with the development and implementation of such policies, especially related to promoting linkages across the home-school-community systems.