Cell phone ban takes effect for millions of Americans under new 'distraction' law
More than one million Americans are set to be banned from using their cell phones under a new law.
New Jersey has become the latest state to adopt the policy, prohibiting students in public schools from using them as well as smart devices during school hours, on school buses and at school-sanctioned events.
The state's governor signed the bill into law on Thursday, framing the measure as a way to curb distractions in the classroom. Phil Murphy said: 'We are ensuring New Jersey schools are a place for learning and engagement, not distracting screens that detract from academic performance.'
With the move, New Jersey joins 26 other US states that have enacted full-day restrictions on student cellphone use.
Those include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and New York.
Florida was the first to pass such a law in 2023, setting off a wave of similar legislation across the country.
Several other states have stopped short of formal bans. Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, South Dakota, and Washington have issued guidance encouraging local school districts to adopt their own cellphone policies.
Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, and Wyoming currently have no statewide law or official guidance in place.
New Jersey has become the latest state to adopt the policy, prohibiting students in public schools from using cellphones and other smart devices during school hours, on school buses and at school-sanctioned events
Studies have shown that the average teen spends a significant amount of time on their smartphone, with recent studies indicating around 5.5 to 8.5 hours daily across all activities, with roughly 1.5 hours during school hours alone.
'Teachers report that students are more focused, less anxious, and they are socializing and laughing with each other, not through a screen, but in hallways and classrooms,' Murphy said in a statement.
'By getting rid of needless distractions, we are fundamentally changing our schools' learning environments and encouraging our children to be more attentive and engaged during the school day.
'This is a sensible policy that will make a world of difference for our children.'
For the 2024 to 2025 school year, which covers much of calendar 2025, New Jersey had approximately 1.36 million K-12 students, with about 1.3 million in public schools, where the ban will take effect starting the new school year.
Some New Jersey schools already ban students from using cellphones at school or require them to lock away devices in lockers or special pouches, but the policies vary by district.
A study published in December 2025 by the American Academy of Pediatrics linked early smartphone access to a range of negative health outcomes in children, including increased rates of depression, obesity and sleep deprivation.
According to the researchers, children who owned smartphones by age 12 were 30 percent more likely to experience symptoms of depression, 40 percent more likely to be obese, and 60 percent more likely to suffer from insufficient sleep compared with peers who did not have smartphones.
Some New Jersey schools already ban students from using cellphones at school or require them to lock away devices in lockers or special pouches (pictured), but the policies vary by district.
The effects were not limited to younger users, as adolescents who received smartphones at age 13 also showed poorer mental health and reduced sleep quality than those without phones.
The study found that earlier exposure carried compounding risks: for every year younger a child received a smartphone, beginning as early as age four, the probability of adverse mental and physical health outcomes rose by roughly 10 percent.
While such policies are to remove distractions, parents have raised concerns about the lack of communication with their children during the day due to fears of what could happen while they are apart, such as shootings and bullying.
'Everything is just so politicized, so divisive. And I think parents just fear what's happening with their kids during the day,' Shannon Moser, a New York parent of two teens, told PBS in 2023, following the news of Florida's bill.
New York implemented a statewide 'bell-to-bell' ban on cell phone use in K-12 public schools, effective in September 2025.
One parent wrote on parents.com: '... Given the many terrifying things that can and do happen in today's schools, something about not having a direct line to her when she's away from me just doesn't sit well.
'Between the threats of a school shooting and bullying, a parent's mind is always swirling with worst-case scenarios,' she wrote.
'A quick 'Hi Mom' or being able to ask, 'How's the day going?' goes a long way in easing these concerns, not just for parents, but kids, too.'
