Ten surveys and institutional positions — from NEA teachers, Pew parents, teens themselves, National Parents Union, Brookings, UNESCO, FutureEd, K-12 Dive, and the US Department of Education.
Survey of 2,889 NEA members found 90% support prohibiting student cellphone use during instructional time, 75% support extending restrictions to the full school day, and 75% consider social media use a "serious problem."
The NEA represents 3 million educators — the largest professional organization in the country. 90% support is an exceptionally high consensus figure that policymakers routinely cite.
Nationally representative survey of 2,500+ public school teachers. 72% of high school teachers and 33% of middle school teachers call cellphone distraction a "major problem" — ranked above student apathy and learning-loss recovery.
Pew is the gold standard for public opinion research. This figure is cited in virtually every legislative testimony and news article on this topic.
Survey of teens 13–17: 95% own or have access to a smartphone, nearly half say they're online "almost constantly," and 48% say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age — up from 32% in 2022.
The 48% negative-effect figure is striking — teens themselves are increasingly skeptical of social media. Undercuts the "kids will hate this" counter-argument to phone bans.
55% of parents are "extremely or very concerned" about teen mental health. 34% of teen girls say social media makes them feel worse about their own lives vs. 20% of boys. 44% of teens have voluntarily cut back.
Illuminates the gap between teen self-perception (most don't think social media harms them personally) and aggregate data (it does harm many) — informs how to message phone-free policies to students.
Nationally representative survey of 1,506 parents. Most want their children to have access to phones during the school day with reasonable limits, primarily for emergency communication — while simultaneously expressing deep concern about social media's negative effects.
Surfaces the tension at the heart of the debate: parents want both safety (phone access) and protection (from social media harm). This is why middle-ground policies — restrict during class, emergency always works — win support.
Follow-up survey of 1,508 parents: 76% of parents report their child takes a phone to school; 62% say phones are prohibited during class but allowed at other times; 71% think their school's current policy is "about right."
Shows the practical middle ground — restrict during class, allow at transitions and emergencies — already reflects what most parents want. Radical all-day bans face parental resistance rooted in safety concerns.
Survey of ~1,100 adults and ~400 teens. 76% of teens express a preference for some form of phone restrictions during the school day — suggesting teen support for bans is stronger than conventional wisdom assumes.
Brookings is a highly credible centrist think tank. Teen support for restrictions is a powerful counter-narrative to the "students will resist bans" argument.
Synthesizes Figlio/Özek data alongside equity research to argue that cellphone bans are promising but must be paired with explicit anti-discrimination enforcement protocols — particularly around racially disproportionate suspension rates.
Bridges academia and policy practice. The go-to citation for education leaders who want to implement a ban while proactively addressing equity concerns.
UNESCO's 2023 report found that one in four countries had already enacted phone bans, cited evidence from Belgium, Spain, and the UK, and called on all countries to restrict smartphones in schools for the sake of learning, mental health, and data privacy.
A United Nations agency calling for a global school phone ban provides international moral authority. Cited in legislative testimony around the world, including the US.
Documents disability rights advocates' concerns that sweeping cellphone bans threaten students who rely on smartphones as assistive technology under IDEA and Section 504. COPAA warns parents should not bear the burden of fighting for IEP exemptions.
The disability-rights critique that has most influenced how states draft exemption language. Essential for any serious policy discussion.