SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), alongside Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced a new bill in Washington, D.C., aimed at removing smartphones from classrooms in public schools.
While the bill falls short of outright banning smartphones from public school classrooms, it would encourage schools to enforce policies restricting their use.
The bill, titled the “Smart Kids Not Smartphones Act,” would establish an award program that recognizes and highlights schools that enforce policies prohibiting smartphone use by students during class time.
“There is no question that smartphones are a major distraction to students in the classroom,” said Romney. “They also contribute to deteriorating mental health, social isolation, and cyberbullying among our youth. Our bill would encourage schools to institute policies which would prohibit the use of smartphones during class time, while still allowing for reasonable exceptions for emergencies, educational activities, and students with exceptional needs.”
Awards would be given to schools by the Department of Education. As a non-competitive award, any school would be able to be recognized regardless of any other school’s recognition. The bill also has no monetary value attached to it with recognition coming in the form of a banner or website badge on a school’s webpage.
Additionally, relevant federal agencies would be required to publish guidance on effective smartphone use policies and enforcement for schools to use.
“Smartphones in the classroom are a massive distraction from learning and socializing with other students and feed into our kids’ addiction to technology,” said Murphy. “There are plenty of schools, including in Connecticut, that have seen improved student mental health and academic outcomes after implementing policies that limit phones in the classroom.”
In studies cited by the two senators, 97% of students aged 11 to 17 use their phones during the day with a median time of 43 minutes. The lawmakers said smartphone use has been found to harm students’ mental health and ability to focus and learn.
The full text for the Smart Kids Not Smartphones Act can be found online, here.
إرسال تعليق