Overview

• Alabama’s new rule keeping phones out of classrooms for the 2025–2026 year is in effect, and a Tuscaloosa teacher reported immediate gains in participation, work completion and peer interaction.
• In an Aug. 8 TikTok viewed nearly 2 million times, Jonathan Buchwalter said every student took notes, finished assignments and asked for help under the ban.
• Reports cite 33 states with laws or limits on student cellphone use, with policies ranging from full-day bans to rules that restrict phones only during instructional time.
• Districts are using tools such as Yondr locking pouches, teacher collection systems and tougher penalties, while critics warn about emergency communication gaps and equity issues.
• NCES says a majority of school leaders see phones hurting academics and attention, and experts describe how heavy use can alter reward pathways and is linked to anxiety, depression and insomnia.