Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed multiple new state laws into order. This includes Executive Order 33, which calls for schools to adopt a full “bell-to-bell” cell phone policy.
This policy is designed to ensure that all K-12 Virginia students stay off their phones during school hours. This also is designed to limit how much screentime students have and keep them off social media during class.
The hope is to avoid the drawbacks that come from social media, such as mental health setbacks.
“We see an increase in a lack of ability to regulate an increase in stress, anxiety and depression,” LewisGale Medical Center Licensed Professional Counselor Ashley Lucas said. “Particularly if kids are using their phones too much in school and it’s a distraction.”
Social media also has an opportunity to limit how much social interaction kids can have, severely hurting their long-term social skills.
“We see a reduced ability to regulate emotions and particularly having strong social support and social skills are really important when it comes to mental health,” Lucas said. “So the time spent on apps, while it can provide increased opportunities for socialization, it often is not the types of interactions that are the most fulfilling.”
Some schools systems - such as Roanoke City Public Schools - have already adapted their cell phone policies to match the new laws.
Lucas warns that going completely cold turkey may be difficult for some students.
“For kids to have that taken from them, especially when they’re used to using them, there could be a period of uncomfortability.” Lucas said.
On the other hand, making kids stay off social media would bring students the type of social interaction that can only come from face-to-face conversations and not through a screen.
“If kids are not allowed to rely on utilizing their devices during class time, the hope would be that it would allow for more opportunity for social interactions, building of social skills and having more overall socially meaningful relationships,” Lucas said.