Virginia has joined a growing number of states advocating for cellphone restrictions in public schools, citing concerns over students' academic achievement and mental health. Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order to establish state guidance and model policies for local school systems to adopt by January. The order highlighted studies showing that students who use their phones during class tend to learn less and achieve lower grades. It also pointed out an 'alarming mental health crisis' among adolescents, partly attributed to cellphones and social media.
Last year, Florida became the first state to implement a law restricting phones in schools. Indiana and Ohio followed suit this year, while several other states have introduced similar 'phone-free schools' legislation. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that 76% of public schools prohibited 'non-academic cell phone use' during the 2021-2022 school year.
