Utah Valley Times

U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) have introduced the Smart Kids Not Smartphones Act, a bipartisan bill designed to reduce smartphone usage by children in classrooms. The proposed legislation would create a non-competitive, non-monetary recognition award program, administered by the Department of Education (ED), to acknowledge schools that enforce policies prohibiting smartphone use during instructional hours.

“There is no question that smartphones are a major distraction to students in the classroom,” Senator Romney stated. “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.”

Senator Murphy added, “Smartphones in the classroom are a massive distraction from learning and socializing with other students and feed into our kids’ addiction to technology. 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. This simple bipartisan bill would recognize schools that implement smartphone bans during instructional time as well as provide transparency and give students and parents the opportunity to share input on those policies.”

A study by Common Sense Media found that 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds used their phones during school hours with a median usage time of 43 minutes per day. Smartphone use has been linked to negative impacts on students' mental health, ability to learn and focus, self-image, safety, and overall well-being. It has also led to issues such as social isolation, cognitive dysfunction, smartphone addiction, academic dishonesty, and lower grades.

In December last year, Senator Romney's measures aimed at understanding the impact of smartphones in classrooms were unanimously approved by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee as part of the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA). These efforts align with Utah Governor Spencer Cox's initiatives to mitigate the harmful effects of social media on children and restrict cellphone use during class time.

Next week, the Senate is expected to vote on final passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), another bipartisan effort co-sponsored by Romney aimed at providing young people and parents with tools and safeguards against online harm.