Pugh, Seifried hold in depth interim study on crisis of cell phones in schools

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sens. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, hosted a robust, two-day interim study this week to examine the detrimental effects of cell phone use among K-12 students in schools.

Pugh, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and Seifried, the committee’s vice chair, urged their fellow committee members to invite local educators and national experts to present. As a result, about a dozen speakers from a wide range of backgrounds spoke at the study. They included teachers, school administrators, mental health experts, a psychiatrist and a neuroscientist.

The presenters noted the correlation between kids’ phone use and poor academic outcomes, increased anxiety and overall worse mental health. The speakers overwhelmingly expressed support for restricting students’ phone use in schools and many urged lawmakers to craft a statewide policy that provides districts some flexibility.

Pugh said he wants Oklahoma to lead the nation on this issue by empowering schools to find innovative ways to create phone-free campuses. 

“The effects of social media and excessive device usage have significantly impacted the mental health, social skills, academic progress, and literacy rates of Oklahoma students, and exacerbated other concerns such as cyberbullying,” Pugh said. “The expertise and classroom experiences shared during this comprehensive interim study indicated that urgent action is needed to help school districts address these unique challenges. Our committee is dedicated to fostering positive learning outcomes for students across our state, and we will continue to explore legislative solutions to mitigate the issues associated with cell phone use in schools.”

After introducing legislation last year to create a pilot program to limit student phone usage, Seifried said legislative action to restrict devices for the entire school day is overdue.

“This study reinforces what many of us already know: Cell phones are undoubtedly a distraction in schools, negatively impacting students’ mental health and academic performance,” Seifried said. “Our job now is to build on this momentum and craft policies that restrict phone use from bell to bell in a manner that supports our schools and our dedicated educators.

“I’m committed to working with parents, teachers, administrators and mental health professionals to find a way to get smartphones out of classrooms so Oklahoma students can reach their full potential at school and at home.”

Mental health experts who presented in the study talked about the addictive nature of smartphones and social media, especially for kids because their brains are still developing. Across the country, test scores have dropped and rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents have skyrocketed as smartphones have become ubiquitous and social media platforms have become more popular, said New York University scientist Zachary Rausch.

Oklahoma Union Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Taylor said students, parents and staff in her district supported a new policy prohibiting smartphones in the classroom. Since the district implemented the change, teachers have noticed students are more engaged in their coursework, there are fewer distractions and kids are interacting with each other more, Taylor said.

Healthy Minds Policy Initiative Executive Director Zack Stoycoff said eight states have enacted statewide policies to ban or restrict cell phones in schools. He said there is clearly a link between youth phone usage and mental health and well-being.

Nationally, middle and high school students spend nearly five hours a day on social media. One in four adolescent Oklahomans said they typically feel like they can’t go a day without social media, and one in five Oklahoma high schoolers said social media made them feel worse about their lives, he said.

Seifried and Pugh plan to file legislation on this issue ahead of the 2025 legislative session. Bill filing begins Nov. 15.

###

For more information, contact: Sen. Adam Pugh at 405-521-5622 or Adam.Pugh@oksenate.gov or Sen. Ally Seifried at 405-521-5555, or email Ally.Seifried@oksenate.gov.