Support for restricting student cellphone use is growing. A new Pew Research Center poll found that, for the first time, more Americans support banning student cellphone use for the entire school day than oppose it.
Forty-eight percent of U.S. adults now favor “bell-to-bell” cellphone bans in middle and high schools, compared with 43 percent who oppose them. Support has increased steadily from 36 percent in 2024 and 44 percent in 2025.
Restrictions during instructional time remain even more popular. Seventy-seven percent of adults support banning cellphone use in class.
The survey found support across the political spectrum, although younger adults are less likely than older Americans to favor all-day bans. That shift in public opinion comes as more states adopt policies limiting cellphone use in schools. More than 20 states have enacted statewide laws or policies, while many others have encouraged districts to adopt their own rules.
In Minnesota, state law now requires every school district to have a cellphone policy, but it leaves the details to local school boards. Policies vary from district to district, with some schools prohibiting phones only during class while others require students to keep devices stored away for the entire school day.
A December 2025 Thinking Minnesota Poll found strong bipartisan support for banning cell phones in classrooms. Majorities across political parties, regions, and age groups supported the classroom restrictions.
States including Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Virginia have adopted statewide standards for student cellphone use. Supporters of these policies say they create consistent expectations for students, families, and teachers.
A growing number of countries have also implemented national or regional restrictions on cellphone use in schools. France was among the first to implement a nationwide restriction for younger students, and countries including Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, and New Zealand have adopted similar policies in recent years. The policies vary, but lawmakers generally cite the same concerns: classroom distractions, declining attention spans, cyberbullying, and student well-being.
Research on cellphone bans has produced mixed results. One study of Florida’s statewide policy found encouraging outcomes, while other large-scale studies found less consistent improvements in standardized test scores or attendance. Researchers generally agree that limiting cellphone use reduces classroom distractions.
Minnesota has chosen to require school districts to adopt cellphone policies while leaving the details to local school boards. As more states move toward statewide standards, Minnesota lawmakers will likely have to continue to weigh whether local control is enough or whether schools would benefit from a single statewide approach.