A law that bans the use of phones in school for students was passed by Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June, 2025.
This law was enforced at the start of the 2025-2026 school year and has changed many things for students. These changes have many disadvantages which include limiting communication during emergencies, preventing students from learning responsible digital citizenship, potentially hindering access to educational tools and creating friction and implementation challenges.
A major issue with the new phone law is that it limits communication during emergencies. For many families, phones are the primary way to contact each other during an emergency. The phone ban removes this crucial lifeline and can increase anxiety for both parents and students. For example, in the event of a dangerous incident like a school shooting, this law prevents students from contacting law enforcement or their parents.
Another issue with the phone ban is it prevents students from learning responsible digital citizenship. Students need to learn how to manage technology responsibly, which is a skill they will need their entire lives. In college and the workplace, individuals are expected to manage their own technology use. The phone law removes the chance for students to learn self control while in a supervised environment.
The new phone ban can also hinder access to educational tools. Although people say that phones are a major disturbance to students, phones can actually serve powerful resources for learning. These devices provide instant access to educational apps, translators and research tools that can enhance lessons and provide personalized learning. In modern day learning, educators use mobile devices to engage students in content creation, but this ban eliminates this teaching approach.
An additional issue with the phone ban is it has implementation challenges and can create friction. This law isn’t just a problem for students, but for teachers and administration as well. Monitoring and confiscating phones add another burden to a teacher’s already full plate. Taking phones away can create a culture of resentment and distrust between students, teachers and administrators, who may be seen as adversaries. Even with a ban in place, determined students often find ways to bypass the rules, which diminishes the policy effectiveness.
Therefore, the new phone ban law in schools has many issues and does not address the root cause that schools are trying to amend. Although legislators are trying to make the school environment better, this is not the way to fix it.