SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah’s classrooms are one step closer to being cell-phone free.
A bill that would mostly prohibit the use of cell phones and smartwatches in Utah schools is getting a lot of support from lawmakers. It was scheduled for debate in the Senate Education Committee.
Some senators love the bill, saying social media apps on phones have led to a tremendous amount of damage to juvenile mental health. They hope this bill would limit some of that damage.
Senate Bill 178, the Devices in Public Schools Bill, would prohibit the use of cell phones in class all over Utah. However, the bill’s sponsor, Senator Lincoln Fillmore, says the bill does carve out an exception in case of emergencies.
He said social media apps, in particular, can be linked with a rising number of emergency room visits among teenage girls in Utah. However, he said they can’t do anything about limiting social media use in Utah homes.
“I hope that, by adopting this policy, we’re shining a light on it and letting society see what damage the re-wiring of kids’ brains to them as individuals and to childhood and as it spans out into society,” Fillmore said.
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The bill would also allow school districts to determine other exceptions for cell phone use in class if they deem them necessary. Senator Luz Escamilla likes giving that local control to school districts.
“I like that people recognize there maybe are exceptions to the rule. Some kiddos are the main point of contact for their younger siblings,” she said. “Also, some phones are being used for translating services.”
Senate President Adams predicts lawmakers will see a lot of different proposals from every school district in Utah.
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