Support for cellphone bans in schools is growing, with more Americans than ever backing restrictions on student phone use, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
About three-quarters of U.S. adults — 77% — support in-class cellphone bans for middle school and high school students. Just 18% said they oppose such a ban.
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Support for all-day bans is also rising. About half of U.S. adults surveyed — 48% — said they support banning cellphones during the entire school day, not just during class. That is up from 36% in 2024. Still, 43% of those surveyed said they oppose the idea of a "bell-to-bell" ban.
While support for in-class and all-day cellphone bans is lower among younger adults, support for both policies has increased across all age groups since Pew began polling on the issue in 2024. Another survey found the majority of U.S. adults said bans would improve students' grades, social skills, and behavior.
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The findings come as a growing number of states have already begun implementing their own policies on phone use in schools. More than 20 states have adopted all-day cellphone bans and 38 states have implemented other restrictions meant to limit student phone use, according to a tally by the Foundation for Government Accountability.
