Butler Area School District is the latest in the area to vote to ban cellphone usage. The state may soon step in to remove the handheld distractions in all districts.

Butler, Knoch and Karns City have all announced bell-to-bell bans for the upcoming year. At Butler, Superintendent Brian White said he has read studies that show phones have a “profound” impact on students’ performance and mental health.

He’s right.

Senate Bill 1014 was introduced last summer. It was approved by the Senate earlier this year and approved by the House of Representatives Education Committee in April. It’s still moving through the House of Representatives. The bill is co-sponsored by Butler’s state Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th.

If enacted, Pennsylvania would join 28 states in restricting smartphones.

The bill’s sponsors say it will enable local districts to maintain some control by allowing them to decide how to ensure students are not using their phones throughout the day.

It also provides for a number of exceptions, including students with medical conditions, students with individualized education plans that require the use of a personal communication device, students who use cellphones as a translation device and for teachers who want to use cellphones as instructional tools with approval by the school principal.

According to a study in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, children who receive smartphones before age 13 are significantly more likely to experience serious mental health problems in early adulthood. In Pennsylvania, data shows the average age for a child to get a cellphone is 10 and a half.

A study produced by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital shows that teens receive an average of 237 notifications on their phones interrupting them per day.

Research by Dr. Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine found it takes an average of 23 minutes to regain deep focus after an interruption and Pew Research Center studies show that 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem. A National Education Association poll from 2024 shows 75% of teachers support bell-to-bell bans as well.

So do we.

Over the years there have been arguments ranging from, “What if we need to contact our child?” to “What if there’s an emergency?”

The simple fact is, there was a time before cellphones and parents were able to maintain communication with their children. Emergencies were handled.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer that will make everyone happy, but here’s the thing — children today are facing mental health struggles because of devices constantly attached to their hands.

If we can give them seven to eight hours per day of peace, filled with learning about and interacting with the world around them instead, shouldn’t we at least try?

— KL