New Jersey has become one of the largest U.S. states to prohibit student smartphone use throughout the entire school day, signing into law a sweeping policy that covers nearly 1.4 million public school students. The law requires all public K–12 schools to adopt phone-free policies by the start of the 2025 C.E. school year, with students storing their devices in pouches, lockers, or designated areas from the first bell to the last.
At a glance
- Student phone ban: New Jersey’s law applies to all public K–12 schools, making it one of the broadest statewide restrictions on smartphones during school hours in the country.
- Student phone ban: Schools must have compliant policies in place before the 2025 C.E. academic year begins, giving districts a clear and near-term deadline to act.
- Student phone ban: The legislation allows exceptions for students with medical needs or individualized education programs, preserving accommodations for those who need device access.
Why New Jersey acted now
The push came amid a growing body of research linking constant smartphone access to declining attention, disrupted sleep, and rising rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents. A landmark 2023 C.E. report by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt helped galvanize public and legislative attention on the issue, arguing that smartphone immersion — especially during school — was measurably harming young people’s mental health and academic performance.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy cited that research directly when signing the bill. Teachers and school counselors had been raising alarms for years about students checking notifications mid-lesson, filming conflicts, and arriving at school already exhausted from late-night scrolling.
A growing national movement
New Jersey joins a wave of states moving in the same direction. Florida enacted a school phone restriction in 2023 C.E., and Indiana, Louisiana, and Virginia have passed similar measures. At the federal level, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for national guidance, a rare patch of bipartisan agreement.
Internationally, the momentum is even stronger. The U.K. issued national guidance restricting phones in schools in 2024 C.E., and France has had a full ban in place since 2018 C.E. UNESCO called for a global school phone ban in a 2023 C.E. report, citing evidence that device-free environments improve focus and reduce bullying.
What the evidence says about learning
Studies from the London School of Economics found that students in phone-free schools scored significantly better on tests — with the largest gains among lower-income students and those with learning difficulties. That equity dimension matters. Students in under-resourced schools often face more disruption and less adult supervision, making device-free policies especially beneficial where they’re needed most.
A 2023 C.E. American Psychological Association review found consistent links between heavy adolescent smartphone use and heightened stress and reduced wellbeing, particularly among girls. Phone-free school hours represent one of the few structural interventions within educators’ direct control.
Not without debate
Critics have raised real concerns. Some parents argue that phones are a safety tool — a direct line to their child in an emergency. Digital equity advocates note that for some students, a smartphone is their primary internet access point, and blanket restrictions could cut them off from resources they rely on. Implementation will also vary: enforcement in a large urban district looks very different from a small suburban school, and underfunded schools may struggle to afford storage solutions like phone pouches.
New Jersey’s law acknowledges some of these tensions through its medical and IEP exceptions, but the broader questions of enforcement and equity remain genuinely open.
Read more
For more on this story, see: Good News for Humankind
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
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- The Good News for Humankind archive on education
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