Classrooms across the country are taking steps to curb one of the biggest learning disruptions in modern education — student phone use — and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is encouraging more school districts to follow suit. During a visit to a Virginia school with Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Kennedy praised the improvements he observed in schools where devices had been restricted during the day.
He said the shift away from phones helped foster calmer classrooms and greater focus. Kennedy also warned that unrestricted cell phone access has contributed to a spike in depression, poor academic outcomes and behavioral issues among students.
According to data cited during his appearance on Fox & Friends, multiple studies show a strong connection between phone and social media use and issues such as substance abuse and suicidal thoughts in adolescents. Kennedy believes that banning phones during school hours can play a key role in reversing these troubling trends.
BREAKING: RFK Jr. has announced that he is working with states to REMOVE cellphones from school.
“Cell phone use and social media use on the cell phone has been directly connected with depression, poor performance in schools, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.”
He is… pic.twitter.com/9LzBS4L909
— Dr. Simone Gold (@drsimonegold) March 21, 2025
So far, nine states — including Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas and California — have passed legislation restricting cell phone use in public schools. While the specifics vary, the aim is the same: keeping students focused on learning rather than screens.
Public polling shows strong support for these efforts. A Talker Research survey reported that 70% of Americans favor removing phones from schools, with 78% of supporters citing damage to academic performance as their primary concern. The biggest objection came from parents who want immediate access to their children.
Kennedy also raised concerns’]: about possible long-term health effects from device radiation. His claims were criticized by several public health experts, and agencies within his own department — including the National Institutes of Health — have said that current evidence does not support those fears.
A separate Pew Research Center study found that 68% of adults favor restricting phones during class time, and 36% support banning them for the entire school day.
