A bill introduced by Sen. Mitt Romney targets cellphone use in classrooms

Salt Lake City, Utah – In Washington, D.C., Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) proposed a new bill that would ban smartphones from public school classrooms.

The measure would encourage schools to implement regulations regulating smartphone use, even if it does not explicitly forbid cellphones from being used in public school classrooms.

The “Smart Kids Not Smartphones Act” bill would create an awards program that would honor and publicize educational institutions that impose rules against students using smartphones in class.

“There is no question that smartphones are a major distraction to students in the classroom,” said Romney. “They also contribute to deteriorating mental health, social isolation, and cyberbullying among our youth. Our bill would encourage schools to institute policies which would prohibit the use of smartphones during class time, while still allowing for reasonable exceptions for emergencies, educational activities, and students with exceptional needs.”

Schools would get awards from the Department of Education. Any school could receive recognition because it’s a non-competitive honor, independent of the recognition of any other institution. Additionally, the bill has no monetary value; instead, recognition is given on a school’s webpage in the form of a banner or badge.

Additionally, guidelines on efficient smartphone use policies and enforcement for use in schools would need to be published by pertinent government bodies.

“Smartphones in the classroom are a massive distraction from learning and socializing with other students and feed into our kids’ addiction to technology,” said Murphy. “There are plenty of schools, including in Connecticut, that have seen improved student mental health and academic outcomes after implementing policies that limit phones in the classroom.”

97% of kids between the ages of 11 and 17 use their phones during the day, with a typical usage time of 43 minutes, according to studies cited by the two senators. The MPs claimed that research has shown that using smartphones while studying has a negative impact on pupils’ mental health.