Following months of discussion, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a “bell – to – bell” cellphone ban into law on January 8 2026, targeting a reduction in classroom distractions. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, all state schools, whether public or private school, will require students to keep their phones and other devices that are not school property off, and stored in a place that is not available to them for the entire school day
Moreover, the state thinks that kids having access to phones has resulted in anxiety and parasocial behavior. “They are fueling a rise in cyber-bullying. And they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn. Honestly, is it any surprise that the rise in smartphone usage has coincided with a growing youth mental health crisis?” said Murphy in an article written by the WHHY news. It is believed that the more kids stay on their personal device, the less they are social and don’t know the basics of the classes they are taking. For instance, do you remember when there were many teachers on TikTok talking about kids in 6th grade not knowing how to read their grade level or school kids in general?” Teachers report that students are more focused, less anxious, and they are socializing and laughing with each other – not through a screen – but in hallways and classrooms,” according to Governor Murphy during an interview.
The state of New Jersey assigned a $3 million grant to support phone free schools, but it is up to the local school boards to determine how to actually implement the ban. They are trying to limit cyber-bullying and for students, ensure that they are academically ready for higher education or for the real world outside of school. The longer kids are on social media the more they are likely to have mental health crises, which in some cases, could lead to them to do unbelievable things to themselves or others.
