Virginia Governor Issues Executive Order Banning Cellphones in Public Schools
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued an executive order banning cellphones in public schools. The order, signed on Tuesday, aims to create a “cellphone-free education” environment to address what Youngkin describes as an “alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents.”
The order mandates Virginia’s Department of Education to develop new guidelines, which will take effect on January 1, 2025. “The necessity of implementing cellphone-free education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools is increasingly evident,” Youngkin stated in his order.
“Parents, public health professionals, educators, and other stakeholders across the Commonwealth are expressing concern over the alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents, such as depression and anxiety, driven in part by extensive social media usage and widespread cell phone possession among children,” he explained.
Youngkin emphasized that a cellphone-free education would significantly reduce the time students spend on their phones without parental supervision. He noted that children spend an average of five hours a day on social media, and research shows that adolescents who spend over three hours a day on social media are at a higher risk of poor mental health.
“Most alarming is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2019-2021, reporting that the rate of suicide has increased 167% since 2010 for girls and 91% since 2010 for boys,” he said, citing a “spike in depression of 161% and 145%, respectively.”
Youngkin also criticized the inconsistent enforcement of cellphone use policies in schools, stating, “up to now, public schools have often left these decisions and consequences” regarding cellphone use “to individual teachers, resulting in a variety of expectations and enforcement, all too often leading to students frequently checking their devices, scrolling through social media, and sending direct messages.”
The executive order suggests creating cellphone-free school environments by requiring students to place their phones in “lockers” or pouches that would be restricted during school hours.
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras praised the initiative, noting that a pilot cellphone ban in some high schools and middle schools led to more student engagement and fewer distractions. “On top of that, students reported spending more time talking with their peers,” Kamras told The Associated Press.
