Utah students next school year could be prohibited from using smartphones, smartwatches and other “emerging technology” during class after state lawmakers on Thursday sent SB178 to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk.
The bill, titled “Devices in Public Schools,” essentially flips the script on current law, which allows cellphone use; instead, it would be prohibited by default. School districts and charters would still have the authority to allow students to use smart devices during “classroom hours,” but they would have to create policies to do so.
“There are over 200 notifications that our students receive on cellphones every day, and it’s very distracting to their learning environment,” said the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Douglas Welton, R-Payson, on Thursday.
“Classroom hours,” according to the bill, does not include lunch periods, recess, or transition time between classes. However, districts could expand the restrictions to non-classroom hours.
The bill also directs school districts to establish policies that ensure certain exceptions, including use during an emergency, use by students with disabilities and to address a “medical necessity.”
Cox has signaled his interest in getting cellphones out of classrooms. Last year, the governor sent letters to Utah school districts, charter schools and state education leaders, urging teachers to remove cellphones during class time.
“We all know that cellphones are a distraction and when we put phones away we can actually focus and study,” Cox said in a statement. “Cellphone-free learning environments will help our teachers teach and our students learn.”
The move is one of the state’s many efforts to crack down on youth social media use, which has been linked to negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.
Some Utah schools have already adopted a no-cellphone policy, including Granger High School, which this school year implemented a total ban on cellphone use during the school day.
At the start of school there, students place their phones in what’s called a “Yondr pouch,” which is then locked shut. Students are able to carry the pouches with them throughout the day. Then, when the dismissal bell rings, staff members stand outside with an “unlocking base,” which students can tap their pouches against to access their phones. School officials reported early success with the program.
If Cox signs the bill, it will take effect starting July 1.
