Reclaim Your Freedom.
End Phone Bans.

We refuse to accept blanket cell phone bans in schools.

Banning is the easy way out for administrators and faculty to claim they "care about student outcomes." Cell-phone bans are not aligned with the purpose of education.

Cell-phone bans are not aligned with the purpose of education

The U.S. Department of Education defines their own mission as to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Cell phone bans remove students from the ever evolving globalized environment where technology is inseparable from daily life. Cell-phones will be a part of students' futures so they should be part of students' present. If states and districts really want to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness, they should be encouraging responsible use.

America is not safe enough for cell phone bans

In 2023 there were 349 school shootings, followed by another 330 in 2024, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. During these tragedies, students consistently relied on their phones to contact loved ones or emergency officials, and those without access described regret and fear. As one survivor of the Apalachee High School shooting said, "I didn't have my phone on me, and I couldn't communicate with my mom for a half an hour… I didn't know if it was the last chance I had to talk with her." If schools truly want to prioritize student safety and sanity, they should ensure responsible access to phones rather than banning them.

Private companies like Yondr lobby so that cell-phone bans can go into effect. Companies decide instead of students.

Cell phone bans are being pushed not for student benefit, but for corporate gain. Lobbying records from the New York State Ethics Commission show Yondr spent $80,000 in 2024 on lobbying services, and today more than a third of public secondary schools in New York use their products. The voice of profit has been louder than the voice of students. We must prioritize students and eliminate outside factors that seek to profit off of our youth.

Research indicates that the impact of universal phone-bans is negligible

A recent meta-analysis of the evidence from 22 studies concluded that a one-size-fits-all solution for cellphones in schools and classrooms is unlikely to have strong effects, as the current state of research shows that the way cellphone bans affect students' mental health, academic achievement, and the likelihood of experiencing or engaging in cyberbullying is nuanced and complex (Campbell et al., 2024).

What we Want

• State-level action to roll back blanket phone bans and replace them with smarter, student-centered policies.
• Curriculum that evolves to prepare students for a world of technological integration, not one that pretends tech doesn't exist.
• Safety policies that prioritize student wellbeing, ensuring access to phones in emergencies rather than treating safety as an afterthought.
• Student-led development of phone policies, with real representation and decision-making power for the people most affected.