HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut’s governor and education commissioner are urging local school districts to consider implementing recommendations approved by the state Board of Education regarding the use of smartphones in schools.
Citing the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, which highlights the relationship between excessive, unrestricted social media use and increased mental health challenges in youth, the Board approved guidance that “strongly recommends that such policy restricts the use of cell phones during the school day to ensure student engagement in learning, support emotional well-being, and strengthen students’ interpersonal skills, peer interaction, and social communication.”
In its guidance for districts to consider when drafting and implementing policies to restrict access to cellphones during the school day, the Board said it “emphasizes creating engaging spaces for learning to mitigate the negative impact that cellphones have on student learning” in elementary, middle and high school based on developmental readiness and maturity.
If more school districts restrict cellphone use during the …