Pittsburgh bans all student cellphone use throughout school day in policy change

Before Dec. 17, more than three-fourths of 56 Pittsburgh Public Schools had set their own regulations regarding student cellphones. 

The most recent school board meeting changed this to ban all “use and possession of electronic devices by students during the school day” except for board-specific exceptions and guidelines, a district news release concluded. 

“This updated policy reflects what we know supports student learning,” Superintendent Wayne N. Walters said in the release. “Many of our schools have already seen positive results from limiting cell phone use during the school day. Establishing a districtwide standard ensures consistency while still allowing for necessary and appropriate exceptions.” 

‘Children are struggling emotionally, socially, academically’ 

Pennsylvania hasn’t yet set a statewide policy regarding public-school cellphone use, although a growing number of states are following in Florida’s footsteps to regulate or ban such devices entirely. 

The State Senate is considering bipartisan legislation to require “all-day cellphone-free policies,” with supporters blaming “the steep decline in youth mental health and academic performance during the past decade” on excessive cellphone use. 

“Children are struggling emotionally, socially and academically,” said Republican Sen. Devlin Robinson in an Oct. 10 statement. “The data is clear: smartphones are playing a major role.” 

Sen. Vince Hughes, a Democrat, echoed Robinson’s arguments. 

“Data shows that 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom,” he said in the same release. “Bell-to-bell legislation is a commonsense approach to getting kids off of their screens and social media during school hours and back to what’s happening in the classroom.” 

Cellphones have also been cited as a factor in youth suicide. 

“Since the early 2010s — when smartphone ownership among teens skyrocketed from 23% to 73% — rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among adolescents have surged,” the release noted. “The suicide rate for children ages 10-14 has tripled since 2007.” 

Cyberbullying has also surged during the same timeframe, with half of teens surveyed reporting an experience with it “at least once,” according to the release. 

“A bell-to-bell phone-free school policy in Pennsylvania will help our kids get the space and place to focus on academics without the distractions,” said Kirstin McGowan, who co-leads the advocacy group PA Unplugged. 

“Restricting access to personal electronic devices during the school day will help drive student engagement with teachers, classmates, and staff; they will get to have a safe space to grow and become the best versions of themselves; and we as taxpayers get to feel more confident that our investment in education isn’t wasted by distracted kids.”