Should schools ban cell phones?

Lake Effect Spotlight · Aug 25, 2025 · 11m

This year’s class of high school seniors was born in or around 2008. That’s one year after the release of the first iPhone and four years after the launch of Facebook. While this generation of students grew up online, they’re increasingly heading into schools looking to ban cell phones. At least 19 states have banned phones outright in schools, and sixteen more states are considering it – including Wisconsin.

But setting boundaries for kids on technology and social media can be tricky. Enter Devorah Heitner. She’s the author of the book “Growing Up in Public,” which guides parents on how to…