A new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found most Americans — about 7 in 10 — support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones in classrooms, but not as many support an all-day ban.
Only about 35% of Americans support banning cellphones from school entirely, according to the survey.
Less than half of adults under the age of 30 support banning cellphones during class while older age groups are more in favor of cellphone bans, the survey said.
The Pew Research Center said its survey found little difference in views on cellphone bans between individuals who have school-age children and those who don’t. Parents of K-12 kids support banning cellphones during class at 65%, while 69% of those without younger children support bans.
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Political party affiliation also seemed to have minimal impact on opinions for cellphone bans in school, with the survey finding 74% of Republicans and 64% of Democrats supporting bans.
Most people who support banning the use of cellphones in classrooms – 98% — said they believe students would have fewer distractions. This is something teachers also agree with based on previous research, the center said.
Other reasons Americans support a ban include believing students would develop better social skills and would be less likely to cheat. Some also said it would reduce bullying in schools, according to the survey.
On the flip side, Americans who think students should be allowed to have their cellphones in class do so because they feel parents should be able to reach their children at any time.
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Some said cellphone bans would be difficult for teachers to enforce, that parents should be the ones to decide if their child is allowed to use their cellphone in class and that cellphones can be a useful tool for teaching.
The Pew Research Center said this survey helps to shed light on Americans’ opinions as lawmakers across several states consider cracking down on cellphone use in the classroom.
