Starting with the first bell of the day, students in Lee County public schools will be required to turn off their cell phones and keep them stowed in their backpacks until the last bell of the day.
The new bell-to-bell cell phone ban goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
Lee County joins school systems in Broward and Orange counties with the outright ban on the use of cellphones even during the lunch break beginning next school year.
The bans are a response to concerns about student distractions, fights, and cyber bullying during the school day.
The Lee County School Board’s support was unanimous. School principals had the authority to create an outright ban on cellphones, but only Gateway High School chose to do so.
Currently, students at all the other public schools in Lee County are allowed to use their phones between classes and during lunch break.
But, if a January survey of 5,000 parents is any indication of buy-in, then the measure has the overwhelming backing of school parents.
More than 85 percent of those responding supported a bell-to-bell ban -- provided students could access their phones during school emergencies.
Desmond Patton, a professor of social policy at University of Pennsylvania, believes he knows why so many schools are tackling the subject of cellphone bans during the school day.
"I think schools are responding to growing concerns about how cell phones affect the learning environment," he said. "And so educators know firsthand how phones can be a distraction. They can fuel social conflicts and increase exposure to harmful content and even contribute to mental health challenges. And so I think many of the policies that we're seeing across the country are driven by desire to improve focus in classrooms and reduce cyber bullying and address some of the rising concerns about students' social and emotional well being.”
Patton believes there is a lack of data supporting a rigorous ban and he emphasized the need for balanced discussions on the educational benefits of digital literacy and technologies.
"On the one hand, phones can be a lifeline, connecting students to support systems and mental health resources and even opportunities for creative expression," he said. "But on the other hand, constant exposure to social media apps and negative online interactions in this digital-comparison culture can contribute to anxiety and depression and feelings of isolation. And so the pressure to always be on can be overwhelming, especially for young people who are navigating their identities and social lives in this space. And so I believe schools have to find the balance ensuring that technology serves students rather than harms them."
He advocates for involving students as well as parents in policy-making to create tailored solutions. "I am concerned that we may be moving too quickly on the bans, without having a balanced conversation around the positive uses of cell phones and the need for digital and technology literacy as well."
When asked what Lee County public school parents can do now to prepare their children for the upcoming ban, he said: "I think parents should approach these conversations with curiosity and not just with restrictions. And so I think that instead of saying, 'Put your phone away,' you can be asking, 'What do you love about being online?'
"And I think the point is to open up dialogue, and it helps parents better understand their child's digital world. I think it's also crucial to have a conversation about online privacy and really helping kids to recognize what they post online through their cell phones can have long-term consequences.
"I think to encourage them to think critically about the content they consume and share is important, and rather than setting rigid rules, work together to create healthy phone habits and plans that feel reasonable and sustainable for your family."
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