As high school cell phone bans become the norm throughout the U.S., students, parents, and staff must adapt accordingly to ensure safety and communication.
Hey kiddo, how’s your day?
Good, but these classes are hard!
Hang in there, bud, and we’ll see ya after school.
These types of midday text-message check-ins between parent and student could soon be a thing of the past, given the rapid number of U.S. states passing laws that ban cell phone usage in schools. Some states’ laws have phone usage banned all day, and some states ban usage only in the classroom while permitting phone access during passing periods and lunch.
Lawmakers’ thoughts? Students achieve a higher level of focus without distracting phones.
Parents’ concerns? Without direct communication, it will be difficult to know my child is safe at school.
Both are valid perspectives. Fortunately, there is data that backs up lawmakers’ claims and technology to ease parents’ minds.
Renewed Attention on Learning
The first statewide cell phone ban in the U.S. happened in May 2023, as Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 379, prohibiting all students in public K-12 schools from using their cell phones during class instructional time. After this precedent, and as of August 2025, 33 states have authorized cell phone bans of some level throughout K-12 schools.
Policymakers cite the need for fewer classroom distractions in hopes of better learning retention. Considering that 4th, 8th, and 12th grade test scores are still reeling since the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted students’ school day status quo, banning cell phones and their distractions could prove beneficial. However, it may take some time for less cell phone usage in classrooms to positively impact nationwide test scores.
Another glaring issue that lawmakers want to curb is the increasing level of addiction that youth have to their phones and social media. These addictions pose a serious risk to youth mental health, as high usage rates are concretely linked to raised levels of depression and anxiety. This concern is especially worrisome when over half of teens ages 13-17 say they’re “constantly” using social media, as outlined in a 2024 Pew Research Center study. Given that teens who spend at least three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, cell phone bans could wind up playing a pivotal role in improving teen mental health.
Prohibiting cell phone usage in schools also takes students’ heads up from their devices and forces them off social media and into the real world. They’re likely talking to students they wouldn’t have spoken to otherwise, making real-world friends, and (at least during the school day) staying away from online gossip and bullying. Oh, and they’ll likely be paying more attention to lessons, too.
But how can students remain informed of happenings — emergent and nonemergent — without cell phones? And how can parents have peace of mind knowing their children will have access to safety information? Luckily, there’s technology for that.
Staying Informed without Cell Phones in Schools
In schools, even more paramount than learning is, of course, safety. Yes, students are less distracted when they’re without the constant gravitational pull toward their cell phones, but does that lack of instant digital communication put them in danger? Not when schools have mass notification technology from Primex Notify® InfoBoard™ Displays. Primex Notify® InfoBoard™ displays.
InfoBoard Displays Provide Instant, Deliverable Communication
In the event of an emergency, school leaders can send immediate word throughout the school at the press of a button. One of five preset messages — lockdown, lockout, weather, evacuate, or all clear — can be instantly triggered on LED message boards throughout the school wherever the InfoBoard displays are installed.
Rather than sending emergency communication to students through text messages and risking those who don’t have phones missing out on the message, visual notifications on LED display boards reach every student. In schools with cell phone bans already, visual messaging is even more important, as they can be delivered in loud environments, cutting through song-filled music rooms, boisterous cafeterias, and rowdy gyms — areas where audio messages often go unheard.
When parents know their student’s school has mass notification displays, they can rest assured that their child will receive instant communication if there’s an emergency, even when they’re without their cell phone and in a noisy environment. Additionally, messages from mass notification displays are more reliable than their text message counterparts anyway, given the patented 72 MHz radio signal with which InfoBoard messages are sent compared to a cell phone that could be dead or without reception.
InfoBoard Displays Deliver Schedule and Custom School Information
In addition to sending emergency communication messages, school leaders can provide schedule updates and announce important school information on InfoBoard displays. Through the web-based OneVue® software platform, staff can input custom messages to:
· Announce an early dismissal
· Present school assembly details
· Delineate between an A and a B day
· Give wayfinding directions
· Congratulate special achievements
Parents who know that their child’s school has InfoBoard displays can be assured their student will be informed throughout the day on the latest school happenings — no phone required.
InfoBoard Displays Assist in Student Timeliness
A 2022 teen survey found that 31% of U.S. teens own an Apple Watch. Due to the timepiece’s internet-connected nature, new revisions on some cell phone bans include prohibiting these smartwatches, as well as tablet usage. How would students tell time, especially if their school has a cell phone ban, and 60% of teenagers use their phones as their primary way to tell time?
InfoBoard displays also deliver perfectly synchronized time throughout entire schools and campuses to eliminate time discrepancies and keep students, classes, and staff on time. Plus, a countdown feature can be added to InfoBoard displays to relieve hallway logjams and let students know exactly how much time is left before their next class starts. Again, no phone? No problem.
Primex Notify Adds a New Level of Communication in Schools with Cell Phone Bans
As cell phone bans become the norm in schools throughout the U.S., concerns over quick emergency communication and safety are valid. However, the potential positive outcomes of higher learning comprehension and improved overall mental health when combined with communication technology like Primex Notify should ease parents’ minds. Their children can get a better education, have more real-life interactions that boost serotonin levels, and be well-informed via InfoBoard displays if necessary for enhanced safety.
To start your school's journey with Primex Notify InfoBoard displays, contact us today.
