Recently, New Jersey has made moves aimed at enhancing student life, focus, and well-being. A new phone ban, championed by Governor Phil Murphy, seeks to create “phone-free schools” to rid students of all distractions and address concerns regarding students’ mental health by the 2026 school year.
The proposed plan
In Murphy’s 2025 State Address, the governor emphasized the importance of reducing classroom distractions caused by phones.
He soon proposed a $3 million allocation in the 2026 fiscal year budget to implement this new rule and assist in adopting technology and resources necessary for enforcing the ban. This funding aims to assist in the transition to phone-free schools by providing locked pouches such as the “Yondr” pouches and cellphone lockers, which keep your phone isolated for hours.
The pros
The new plan has the state divided on whether it would be beneficial for students.
The statewide ban on cellphone usage is expected to bring many benefits, particularly increasing student focus, positively impacting their academic performance and motivating healthier social interactions.
Eliminating the constant distractions from notifications and social media can help students participate in class activities and engage in lessons more effectively. Studies have shown that reduced screentime in school environments leads to higher test scores and improved critical thinking among many students. Removing access to phones in class can also reduce cyber-bullying and online harassment, which impact mental health.
The cons
However, many parents across the state strongly disagree with the new plan. Parents fear that in case of emergencies like lockdowns, they won’t have the ability to contact their children.
Schools say that each classroom will be given a single phone for these reasons, but parents still oppose the new law.
Another major issue about the law is the potential difficulty of enforcing the phone ban. Many agree that students may find it hard to adjust to not having a phone during the school day.
The ban may also negatively impact students who use phones for academic purposes, like language translation apps or digital planners.
Conclusion
The decision to ban cellphones in New Jersey is a big step toward increasing academic performance in students. While the policy aims to offer clear benefits, such as reducing distractions and adopting more engaging class lessons, it also raises many safety concerns among parents.
Should the academic performance of our children really be prioritized over their safety? It is up to the parents and children to decide.
