Ms. Streit teaches in the Los Angeles school district, the second-largest in the country, which recently joined the growing number of schools banning smartphone use. As a middle-school teacher, Nancy Streit understands the challenge of competing with smartphones for her students' attention. Yet, as a mother, she also sees the necessity of these devices in emergencies. "It’s mostly the parents calling," she says, noting that while she bans phone use in her classroom, students often find ways to bypass the rules.

A national trend is emerging in the U.S. as states and schools grapple with children's increasing dependency on their devices. New York and California are both considering state-wide policies to address the issue. Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to work with legislators on a classroom ban, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul is advocating for a similar law. Indiana's governor has already signed a classroom ban into law, set to take effect this autumn.

This wave of regulation is part of a long-standing debate over managing smartphone use in schools, a concern heightened by the pandemic's impact on youth mental health. In the 2021-2022 school year, approximately 76% of US schools prohibited non-academic use of smartphones, according to the US Department of Education. However, the latest policies aim to further restrict phone usage.

Raphaela Hodges, a sixth-grade teacher in Los Angeles, has observed a significant shift in children's social behavior, noting that students frequently turn to their phones when uncomfortable. This issue has garnered rare bipartisan support, with both Republican and Democratic states pursuing similar measures. For example, Florida enacted a law last year requiring school districts to ban phones in classrooms and block social media on school Wi-Fi. Additionally, the law mandates education on the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media.

Individual districts in states like Maine and Virginia are also tightening phone use rules, alongside Canadian provinces such as Ontario and Alberta. The debate over phones in schools has persisted for decades, dating back to attempts to ban communication devices in the 1980s. Concerns initially centered on potential distractions and associations with the drug trade. However, the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, which resulted in 13 deaths, shifted the perspective, leading to relaxed rules as phones were seen as vital for emergency communication.

The debate has resurfaced as phones have become major distractions, tools for cyberbullying, and means for cheating. New York City, with over a million students, initially enforced a strict ban before allowing individual schools to set their policies in 2015.

The current focus on policies is driven by growing concerns over student mental health and social media use. Earlier this week, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those on cigarette boxes, highlighting the risk of increased anxiety and depression among children. Research has shown mixed results, but a 2019 study frequently cited by federal health offices found that adolescents spending more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Murthy emphasized the difficulty students face in learning and building relationships while constantly distracted by their phones. "You've got a situation where kids are not only trying to learn, but they're simultaneously on their phones, they're texting their friends, they're replying to messages on social media, they're scrolling through their feeds," he told the BBC.

The effectiveness of these policies remains to be seen. Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, stresses that successful implementation requires strong community consensus and consistent enforcement. "There’s a lot more to it than the average parent or other person looking from afar would think. It’s a wicked problem, there are a lot of complexities to it," he said.

In Los Angeles, where board members voted to ban phones from next year, the specifics of policy enforcement are still unclear. Alyssa, an 18-year-old from Los Angeles, doubts the feasibility of a complete ban given the large school campuses. "We have huge campuses – no one can monitor all that," she said. "There are tons of areas where you can go and not be seen."

The balance between safety, mental health, and the practicalities of enforcement remains a significant challenge. National statistics indicate a worrying trend.

According to the American Psychological Association, 81% of teens report that social media makes them feel more connected to their friends, but 45% also report feeling overwhelmed by the drama on these platforms. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 31% increase in mental health-related emergency department visits for adolescents aged 12-17 in 2020 compared to 2019, highlighting the growing mental health crisis among youth. Notably, in France, a nationwide ban on smartphones in schools has been in effect since 2018, aimed at improving student focus and reducing distractions, providing a model that US policymakers are closely observing.