HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Students and adults took to the Pennsylvania State Capitol to argue their sides on a bill that could ban cell phones in schools.
Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny) introduced the “bell-to-bell” ban earlier this month. It would require public and parochial schools to prevent students from using cell phones on school grounds, including during homeroom, lunch and recess. The Senate Education Committee held a hearing Tuesday on the proposal.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
Robinson said he just returned from Ireland where a relative works as a school teacher. He inquired about their cell phone policy.
“She just looked at me and said, ‘Oh, we don’t allow cell phones in our schools. Are you crazy?’”
Essentially a state mandate with local control, the bill leaves it up to districts on how a ban would look. Robinson said schools could require students to place their phone in a pouch or to ban the devices completely from school grounds.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the union representing educators and support staff in the state, backs the bill.
“The kids are not being aware that they cannot developmentally handle these cell phones. Their brains have not developed yet,” said Aaron Chapin, president of the union. “And they can’t control the impulses every time it’s denying adults have a struggle enough as it is, children have even more.”
Students included in the discussion disagreed. They said a total ban would show a lack of trust and miss a teachable moment for young adults.
“That trust builds those good relationships of trust builds the students wanting to do what’s right, wanting to put their phone away and listen to their teacher talk,” said Atticus Mitchel, a Danville Area School District student.
But students said they have also experienced the anxiety cell phones cause. Social media can be especially brutal for young women.
“There’s so many people out there on social media, and there’s just a lot of times, for comparison, someone’s prettier than you or something like that,” said Camryn Hoover, a Milton Area School District student.
Pennsylvania House passes bill mandating cursive education in schools
But the students are smart, and funny. Robinson asked them their daily screen time: both said several hours.
“I want to be fair, I’ll share mine with you,” Robinson said. “I looked it up today and for this week, I’m at an average of one hour and 33 minutes.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.