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Spurred by his concerns about social media’s impact on children, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Wednesday announced he’s encouraging schools to adopt cellphone-free policies in their classrooms.

Cox has sent letters to district and charter school leaders, school principals, community council members and the State Board of Education 鈥渟haring his concerns about the harmful effects social media has on our children and asking them to remove cellphones during class time,鈥� Cox鈥檚 office said in a news release.

鈥淲e all know that cellphones are a distraction and when we put phones away we can actually focus and study,鈥� Cox said. 鈥淐ellphone-free learning environments will help our teachers teach and our students learn.鈥�

The governor said 鈥渨e want to give our schools every opportunity to succeed鈥� and he hopes Utah鈥檚 public and charter schools 鈥渨ill join me in this effort to keep phones in backpacks or lockers during class time.鈥�

A spokeswoman for Cox told Utah News Dispatch the governor isn鈥檛 going as far as to encourage teachers to feel free to take away cellphones during class time, but rather he鈥檚 encouraging schools and their districts to adopt cellphone-free policies. He鈥檚 recommended 鈥渆ducators engage with parents and collaborate as they work together to develop cellphone policies,鈥� according to his office.

Utah is currently suing social media companies including and , alleging their platforms are addictive and mentally harmful to children.

Last year, Utah also became the first state in the nation to pass two pieces of legislation prohibiting minors from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless authorized by a parent. The new laws, which take effect March 1, also require age verification to open and maintain a social media account in the state.

NetChoice, a group representing TikTok and other major tech companies, filed a federal suit against Utah in December, alleging the state鈥檚 regulations are unconstitutional because they restrict access to public content, compromise data security and undermine parental rights, the reported.

What鈥檚 happening in schools already restricting cellphones?

Cox鈥檚 office noted many schools in Utah have already moved forward with schoolwide cellphone policies to restrict student access, pointing to Delta High School and Millard School District鈥檚 鈥渃ellphone-free鈥� policy, requiring students to put their phones in a clear pocket that hangs in front of the classroom.

鈥淚t was a battle to begin with, but it has been so worth it,鈥� said Jared Christensen, vice principal of Delta High School, in a prepared statement. 鈥淪tudents and parents have all adapted, our teachers are happier and learning has increased.鈥�

Cox鈥檚 office also said schools have 鈥渟hared experiences that are supported by compelling national data,鈥� citing an article written by Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the NYU Stern School of Business titled 鈥溾��

Haidt wrote 鈥渞esearch is clear: Smartphones undermine attention, learning, relationships and belonging.鈥�

Evergreen Junior High in Granite School District also does not allow cellphones to be out anytime during the day 鈥� in classrooms, halls or lunchrooms. Cox鈥檚 office said one of the reasons Evergreen Junior High 鈥渉as been so successful鈥� with adopting and implementing their cellphone policy is 鈥渢hat they proactively educate parents on the benefits.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 so much easier to just ban them altogether,鈥� said Evergreen Principal Ryan Shaw. 鈥淟earning has improved, and our scores reflect that. Bullying and fighting have decreased. The students connect with each other in a more meaningful way. We are grateful for the support we have from our community council 鈥� it鈥檚 been critical.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: [email protected]. Follow Utah News Dispatch on and .

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