(NewsNation) — Florida mandated cellphone rules in public schools, but Orange County Public Schools has taken things further by banning phone use throughout the school day.
At one school, there were more than 100 phones confiscated from students on the first day the ban was implemented. But soon after, confiscations decreased, and so did bullying.
Teachers told The New York Times that during the pandemic, students' attachment to their phones deepened, with many hardly looking up from their screens while walking in school hallways. Some even recorded their classmates secretly and shared those videos on apps such as Snapchat.
The ban has changed the atmosphere at Timber Creek High, making it both more peaceful and more controlled. Students now make eye contact and engage more in class, a teacher said. Some students appreciate that the ban has made their interactions with classmates more genuine.
While stricter cellphone rules at school may help students focus on their studies, they could also lead to increased surveillance and potentially hinder important communications for students with family responsibilities or after-school jobs.
While a dozen Orange County parents and students supported the ban on cellphone use during class, they objected to the stricter, all-day ban. Parents argued that their children should be able to contact them during free periods, and students found the all-day ban unfair and condescending.
Many public schools across the United States are implementing stricter measures to reduce cellphone use among students. Lawmakers and district leaders believe this is necessary because excessive use of social media during school threatens students' education, well-being and safety.
In some schools, students have planned and filmed assaults on their peers and shared the videos on platforms including TikTok and Instagram. Social apps such as Snapchat also distract students and encourage messaging during class.
Several individual districts, such as South Portland, Maine, and Charlottesville City, Va., have also banned student cellphone use throughout the day.
In May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that mandates public schools prohibit cellphone use during instructional time, block students' access to social media on district Wi-Fi, and educate students about how social media can manipulate behavior.
Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa have adopted a strict policy with the message, "We See It — We Take It."
According to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, about 77 percent of schools already prohibited nonacademic cellphone use during school hours.