Phones in schools have been such an impactful and controversial topic lately. Some argue they provide resources for students and safety in times of emergency, while others argue that they’re a distraction and take students’ attention away from learning. But what if it was left up to the state to decide whether or not they should be allowed? That’s exactly what North Carolina has done. The state of North Carolina has passed a bill in the Senate banning cell phones. The bill has bipartisan support which allows it to move forward in legislation.
The recent weeks have been highly focused on taking steps towards regulating phone use in schools. On March 5, 2025, the North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 55. The bill requires that the school districts or individual schools implement policies that ban students from using devices including phones, tablets, and laptops—during instructional time. Instructional time refers to the time that students are actively engaged in the lessons with teachers. This is usually the time students are engaging in lessons or discussions so having their undivided attention is crucial for being able to successfully retain the information. The bill is focused on banning devices during this time to reduce distraction and enhance focus on learning. Mr. Segal, a teacher at Millbrook High School, says, “I think that this bill will have a large impact on my students and my teaching…It will help students to give their full and undivided attention, benefiting them by ensuring that they are learning to their full potential.”
The goals of this bill are to reduce the number of distractions in classrooms, prevent cheating, and reduce bullying, specifically cyberbullying. The core argument behind this bill is that students are highly distracted when they have access to devices. Having their devices in front of them allows them to play games, text friends, and view social media platforms, which takes away their attention from the lessons and important instructional time, causing them to fall behind. Maddy Luckinbill, a senior at Millbrook High School, disagrees and says, “I think students are responsible enough to balance our attention to school work and our phones.” The ban aims to ensure that students stay concentrated and engaged in the educational content.
Another major concern is cheating on assignments and tests. With readily available access to the internet, students can look up answers, and resources to help them or communicate with other students, which makes the school system less trustworthy. It gives an unfair advantage to other students who actually put in their best effort. Lastly, bullying, particularly cyberbullying. Social media and messaging platforms are the primary sources where bullying takes place. By limiting the use of access to phones and devices, the bill hopes to rescue opportunities for bullying to take place in schools.
So what will this look like in schools? Local Education Agencies (LEA) are school districts that will be responsible for implementing this ban. This agency has the lead on how they want the ban to be implemented, but they will be required to create rules and regulations on the use of devices during instructional time. Schools play a large role in the level of enforcement, meaning that clearly informing students of what would happen if they did use their phones during instructional time when asked not to, in other words the consequences they may face. Possible consequences could include confiscation of the device, detention, or other consequences.
While this may sound beneficial to you or it may not, there has certainly been discussion of the concerns and benefits that this ban will present. A few concerns are that the ban does not consider the educational opportunities that devices provide. Many students use their devices to access educational resources and research information regarding the content they are learning. More importantly, students rely on their devices for important communication, especially in emergencies. Unfortunately, school emergencies, such as shootings, are more common today than they used to be, so considering students’ safety and their access to contacting parents or guardians, is highly important. Emilia Castenda, also a senior at Millbrook High School, says she would feel unsafe without her phone, “Knowing if something were to happen and I wouldn’t have access to my phones to be able to contact my parents really scares me.”
The next step for the bill is for it to make it through the legislative process. The North Carolina House also recently pushed forward a similar bill, House Bill 87, which would further regulate phones in schools. When and how these policies will take effect depends on the final decisions made by lawmakers, as well as how schools choose to enforce the rules. There are many benefits to the ban. A few of which include improving focus and enhancing engagement in educational lessons. Studies have shown that when students are less distracted, their ability to retain information improves, which benefits them in the long run for tests and assignments. Reducing cheating and bullying also makes schools a more safe and trustworthy environment. All in all, Senate Bill 55 aims to make schools safer and a more focused learning environment. The debate continues on the effectiveness and fairness of this ban, but the main focus is that students are learning to their full potential and getting the education they deserve.
