The Current State Of Phones In Schools (In The US)

myFirst has a few things to say about kids and smartphones. It’s why we created our line of high-tech, kid-friendly smartwatches in the first place. There are a lot of great things the best smartphones can offer you and your family, but there’s also a lot of risks to consider. We’re always about promoting balance between tech. All of myFirst’s devices offer the power to explore the digital world together with the safety features and guardrails we pride ourselves on. But what if access to that technology is now up for debate? 

Across the country, smartphone use has become an extremely hot parenting topic. Not as hot as buying your kid a Cabbage Patch Doll, but it’s pretty close. Here at myFirst, we’re about providing you with the tools and options to parent YOUR way. So we’re not about to tell you what to do. However, we are going to try to inform you as much as possible. Just like we do with our guides, Gen Z lingo definitions, and great film recs. This way, you have at least some understanding of the current situation.

We know that for a lot of older kids, smartphones are difficult to avoid, and that’s why we make products like the Fone R2. The R2 is a kids smart watch designed as a stepping stone between your child being home all the time and the freedoms of a teenager, which tend to include a cellphone. But now, the way that those communication devices are being used in schools has come under fire. Does anyone know what “under fire” actually means? It’s literally everywhere, and everyone keeps using it, but no one has any idea what they’re saying. I digress.

Why Phones in School Have Become an Issue

Are kids still using Sidekicks? Man, those are cool

When they’re not on their GameBoys, kids are basically glued Cronenberg-style to their cell phones. For Gen Z and Alpha, their phones are a major part of their lives. But that “relationship” becomes a problem when they’re in school. 

Texting, social media, games, etc. There are so many things for your kids to see, click on, and do. 

The limitless nature of smartphones is why, here at myFirst, we recommend one of our smartwatches for younger kids, like the Fone R2. You get the advanced communication features but none of the distracting other stuff. Instead of the ability to text or call any number, myFirst Circle allows your kid to only contact trusted Circle members. Our kids watches also feature a classroom mode to further limit any distractions while your kid is in school. As a parent, it’s ALWAYS up to you when you feel like your kid is finally old enough to graduate from a kids smartwatch to a smartphone. 

Although myFirst does offer these kinds of tech solutions, many parents have still chosen to get their kids smartphones. But in the past year, the debate over smartphone use in schools has really heated up. Now, in 2026, we’re already seeing full-on smartphone bans.

Which states have taken the step to say “No phones, yo.”?

According to ABC News, so far, 20 states have banned the use of smartphones and tablets in school.

And on an unrelated note, 47 states have banned the use of kazoos.

But what does a “ban” really entail, you ask? 

Here’s a quote from New York City's policy, one of the 20 states with a full device ban in schools:

“Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, students will not be able to use personal internet-enabled electronic devices on school grounds during the school day absent an approved exception. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones.”

Not every state’s smartphone ban is the same. This is just an example, but with this specific wording, it would also cover devices like myFirst’s Fone R2 and S1. If there’s some kind of ban where you live, and your child is using one of the myFirst products, it’s worth discussing with your administrators the difference between a smartphone and our devices, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up for an exception.

This entire thing is quite new, so it remains to be seen whether bans hold or not. New Coke lasted what, a week?

Some states have no bans on the books, but others have partial bans or, like Puerto Rico, some sort of deadline to figure out smartphone restrictions. Certain states are actually leaving it up to the districts themselves to decide what to do.

Let’s take a brief look at some key reasons why smartphone use in schools is such a hot topic in the first place.

Paying Attention

I’ve been told that in school, it’s important

Obviously, your kid isn’t really listening to their teacher discuss the intricacies of Farscape’s socio-economic relations if they’re on their smartphone texting. This definitely isn’t something new. You’re parents! You see how fickle your kids' attention spans are. Parenting has always been challenging, but with screens, it’s a whole other ballgame. 

A study done by the Pew Research Center says that a majority of parents with children in the U.S. feel that parenting is harder now than it was 20 years ago. Of course, it’s not ALL about screens, but it’s a big factor. Getting your kids to listen takes time, and now you’re fighting to pull their attention away from a device that’s constantly bombarding them with information. That’s why promoting a healthy relationship with technology is so important to us here at myFirst. We can’t just shun tech, but we also can’t let it fully absorb our kids' lives. 

Now imagine you’re a teacher, and you’re trying to explain who Pythagoras was (...ninja turtle??) to a classroom full of kids who are constantly trying to sneak a look at their smartphones. Challenging, for multiple reasons.

So, we totally get why phones in school might be… pulling focus. But there’s more to it than just being a simple distraction.

Anxiety and Depression

These are bad

 

Beauty and social standards. Wealth and status. The moon landing. 

These kinds of things online can make anyone, a kid or even a parent, feel pretty down. Of course, as adults, we’re more able to discern the social media “reality” from our reality, but young minds are always more susceptible.

After all, kids and teenagers are getting flooded with all these stimuli about what they should like, how they should dress, what their lives should be, as they’re just trying to figure out WHO they are. Unfortunately, and you might not need this guide to tell you this, anxiety and depression are serious problems for young people, and social media and devices are big reasons why.

Banning or not banning phones in school doesn’t necessarily solve this issue, as it’s more societal at this point. However, making school a sort of separate place, removed from the digital world, might have some benefits. With a ban like New York’s, kids aren’t able to look at their phones during lunch or even in between periods to check their socials or text messages. They can obviously still be upset by ya know, school, but not images on social media making them feel bad about themselves. Being present not only during class but also during the entirety of the school day sounds beneficial.

There is a counterargument that without a phone, your child won’t be able to check in with you throughout the day. In today’s world, those safety concerns are unfortunately extremely valid.

It’s all definitely worth thinking about!

Cyber Bullying

Robo rudeness

 

I’ve just been informed that cyberbullying does NOT involve quips about my mother from a talking vacuum. So, I’ve had to redo this section.

Just to be safe, I’ll quickly define cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is essentially harassment that takes place online. Messages, comments, videos, etc. The digital nature of it has a bit of a compounding effect. A lot of folks say things online that they would never dream of uttering in person. Like me!

In school, there has and will always be bullying; this is not a new development. Removing digital devices from the equation might have a positive impact. Bullies can’t just send rude things throughout the day. But it’s not like taking someone’s phone away immediately makes them nice. 

How prevalent is cyberbullying?

Although it’s an international study, the WHO found that in 2024, 1 in 6 kids had said they’d been the victims of some form of cyberbullying. That sucks! I can only assume it’s the same if not more, in the U.S. Regardless of smartphone bans in school or not, being vigilant against how your child is being treated or is treating others, IN PERSON OR ONLINE, is very important.

We should all be trying to make sure our kids are treating each other with kindness and respect during all hours of the day, not just in school.

How Do Parents Feel About All This?

Maybe looks into a kids smart watch for calls?

 

Just so we’re clear, at myFirst, we’re not promoting any specific opinion on phone bans. We just want to give you an overview of what’s going on with the restrictions and concerns around devices so that you can form your own opinion about it. This way, you’re a bit more prepared for whatever happens.

Over 70% of U.S. parents are now in support of smartphone bans for middle and high school-age kids, which is allegedly up from last year, according to the Pew Research Center. Results have a big impact on that sentiment. If you see your kid doing better in school or benefiting in some way from this policy, you’d probably be all for it too. Speaking with ABC News, Kansas Commissioner Randy Watson, whose state has different kinds of bans in place, has said that “Kids are more engaged” after enacting those restrictions. 

We hope that this overview has been helpful in some way. You can’t control whether your child’s tablet, smartphone, or even myFirst smartwatch are going to be banned in schools. Unless you’re the Governor or something. But you can have an impact on your kid’s relationship with tech outside of it. We’re not telling you there’s a right way or a wrong way to respond to the ban or a partial ban, simply that these are the current facts and concerns, and how you decide to approach the subject with your child is up to you.

 

Thanks for reading! Since you're here and interested in technology in schools, why don't you check out our article on how to have kids walk safely to school on their own?