Spring break is over for most and students can return to class, but in 35 states and Washington, D.C. they aren’t allowed to use cell phones in K-12 classrooms.  Watching the news about this topic it appears American schools have been on the fast track to get control of the teaching environs around this country. Teachers, administrators, counselors and legislators have pushed to eliminate phone use in an attempt to help kids improve their academic performance and frankly, their mental health.

We can all most likely agree that both us and our kids have attention problems because of these hand-held computers. Our constant impulse to check our social media, email and such has spawned a nation of both students and adults presenting symptoms of or suffering from ADHD.  According to govfacts.org “The adolescent brain is outmatched by algorithmically optimized engagement loops designed by trillion-dollar tech companies.”  And in the book, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, he reported on research that correlates the sharp decline in youth mental health-beginning around 2012-with mass adoption of smartphones and the shift from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods.  Teachers, principals and school staff have reported that “removing phones acts as a circuit breaker for social anxiety and without the device, immediate pressure to curate a digital persona vanishes during the school day”.  And need I mention a potential reduction in cyber bullying?

Last year Utah outlawed phones in schools to reduce distraction and help students focus. It’s known as a “bell-to-bell” cellphone prohibition in Utah K-12 schools. Individual schools or districts can option out for a different policy. But maybe you’re not a student, have graduated?  There’s a ‘no touch’ law for drivers in that drivers under 18 are prohibited from using any wireless communication device while driving (even with hands-free tech) and the law specifically prohibits the use of handheld devices while driving that includes texting or talking on our phones.  The only exception is for medical emergency issues ore using GPS. If you’re caught violating the law you can get a fine of $100 for first-time offenses and more for repeat offenders.

As of last year, 31 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have hands-free driving laws that prohibit all drivers from holding or touching their phones while operating a vehicle. You may be planning your vacation this year out of Utah, and I might suggest checking on the driving /phone laws. There are some exceptions if you’re stopped at a red light or in traffic to alter your GPS instructions or if you need to call 911 due to an emergency.

This fall, Utah law will begin to enforce a ‘bell-to-bell’ ban on student cell phone use during instructional time, including lunch and breaks, to reduce distractions. Senate bill 69 and 178 require that personal devices, including smart watches, to be put away and silenced except for emergencies and students with medical needs and disabilities.