(The Center Square) — New Hampshire Republicans are moving ahead with a proposal to ban cellphones in public schools, but the measure faces pushback from Democrats, arguing it would erode local control of schools.
The GOP proposal, which was approved by the House Education Policy Committee Tuesday on a narrow 9-8 party-line vote, would set a statewide “bell-to-bell” policy prohibiting cellphone use from the beginning of the school day through dismissal.
Backers of the proposal argue that the restrictions are needed to remove distractions during the school day and point to recent surveys of teachers who want more restrictions on cellphone use in the classroom. House Republicans, who must still hold a final vote on the amendment, are urging the state Senate to approve the proposed restrictions.
“We send children to school to learn, not browse Instagram and TikTok,” state Rep. Melissa Litchfield, R-Brentwood, the proposal’s sponsor, said in a statement. “I hope that the Senate concurs with us on this critical matter so that we can send this bill to Gov. Ayotte.”
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a first-term Republican, has pushed for a cellphone ban as part of a broader effort to address youth mental health issues and curb teens’ use of social media.
“Screens are negatively impacting our learning environments, drawing students’ attention away from their classes, and becoming a barrier for teachers to do their jobs,” she posted recently on social media. “No more.”
However, Democrats, a minority in the legislature, oppose the statewide proposal and argue it would force local school districts to cede their authority over setting policies to the state government.
“I think it is overly prescriptive and violates local control,” state Rep. Loren Selig, D-Durham, said in remarks during Tuesday’s committee hearing. “Each district should be able to determine what their own needs are.”
If approved, New Hampshire would join a growing number of states to ban or restrict cellphones in schools, part of a broader effort to remove classroom distractions for students as concerns about their mental health mount. So far, only nine states — New York, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia — have banned or restricted cellphones in schools.
Another 11 states, including Maryland and Alabama, have introduced bills targeting restrictions as of December, according to the health policy research group KFF. Alabama’s proposed legislation suggests fining students for violating the policy, the group said.
Social media companies are increasingly being blamed for the rising rates of depression, suicidality and other mental health issues among youth nationally. In response, states and local governments are increasingly considering legislation and legal action to crack down on social media use.
A 2023 Gallup study found at least 51% of American teenagers were using social media apps at least four hours a day.
