Virginia Gov. Youngkin restricts cell phone use in public schools

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed an govt order calling for the institution of “cellphone-free education” in public schools in an effort to battle again towards what he describes as an “alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents.” 

The measure, which was signed by the Republican on Tuesday, orders state companies and its Department of Education to give you new tips that may go into impact on Jan. 1, 2025. 

“The necessity of implementing cell-phone free schooling in Virginia’s K-12 public schools is more and more evident,” Youngkin wrote in the order. “Parents, public health professionals, educators, and other stakeholders across the Commonwealth are expressing concern over the alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents, such as depression and anxiety, driven in part by extensive social media usage and widespread cell phone possession among children. 

“Cellphone-free schooling will considerably scale back the period of time college students could be on telephones with out parental supervision,” he added. 

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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks at the Road to Majority Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 22. (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Youngkin wrote in the order that children spend an average of nearly 5 hours a day browsing social media and that recent studies suggest adolescents who spend more than three hours per day double their risk of poor mental health. 

“Most alarming is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information from 2019-2021, reporting that the speed of suicide has elevated 167% since 2010 for ladies and 91% since 2010 for boys,” as well as a “spike in despair of 161% and 145%, respectively,” he added. 

READ THE ORDER BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

Youngkin additionally stated “to this point, public schools have typically left these choices and penalties” surrounding cellphone use “to particular person lecturers, ensuing in a wide range of expectations and enforcement, all too typically resulting in college students continuously checking their units, scrolling by means of social media, and sending direct messages.” 

He argued, citing studies, that students who use their cellphones during class “be taught much less and obtain decrease grades.” 

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English language teacher Jessica Alford leads a student to their classroom at George Mason Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, on Aug. 21, 2023. Youngkin is looking to crack down on cellphone use in public schools. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The executive order suggests that usage of cellphone “lockers” or pouches could be one way to restrict them in schools. 

Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in schools with a new law. Indiana and Ohio passed their own laws this year, while several other states have recently introduced what is becoming known as “phone-free schools” legislation. 

In Virginia’s state capital of Richmond, Youngkin’s order has the full support of the superintendent of public schools. 

Youngkin says “continual well being situations affecting adolescents, resembling despair and nervousness,” are “pushed in half by in depth social media utilization and widespread cell phone possession amongst kids. “ (Getty Images)

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“We piloted a cellphone ban final yr in a few of our excessive schools and center schools, and we noticed extra pupil engagement in class and fewer distractions all through the day,” Jason Kamras told The Associated Press. “On prime of that, college students reported spending extra time speaking with their friends.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.