In classes across Utah, students’ cell phones ding, with constant notifications and distractions, grasping for their attention. As legislators expand cell phone bans at school, banning them will harm student responsibility, safety, and leave teens unprepared to manage phones and distractions in the real world.
Lawmakers in Utah are currently expanding school policies into a stricter bell-to-bell phone ban, preventing students from accessing their phones from the first bell to the last, including lunch and passing periods, according to Senate Bill 69. This bill was voted on for the final time, February 26, and will be in action as of July 1, 2026. Supporters will argue this will limit distractions in schools. However, students say this overlooks major concerns such as safety. As school security remains a significant issue, phones are one of the only ways for students to reach their families instantly during emergencies.
When Ada Anderson, a Freshman at Skyline, was asked if she could give any advice to the legislators pushing for the more extensive phone bans, she said, “I think the biggest thing they should be concerned about is safety… I can’t fully feel at ease knowing my communication is limited.” This shows that teenagers feel safer knowing they can contact a parent or trusted guardian instantly if something goes wrong, and banning phones completely will create fear, not focus.
Not only will the ban create safety concerns, but it also can leave teenagers unprepared to manage their devices in the real world. Ian Mounteer, a Skyline English teacher, states, “I can really see the older kids have a much better grasp of when it’s appropriate to use their phone versus the kids who are like 13, 14, 15.” This emphasizes that teenagers learn responsible phone use through practice, not restriction, allowing students and adolescents to make decisions and helping them build self‑control.
In the end, phones can be a distraction and create new challenges for students. A bell-to-bell ban may temporarily remove these distractions, but it also removes the opportunity for students to practice digital responsibility in a structured setting. Not only that, but it takes away from a student’s sense of security, stopping them from contacting someone trusted in an emergency.
As lawmakers move forward, Mounteer offered advice to the legislators to “get into the classrooms” before deciding what is best for the students and what they can and cannot handle.
