by Catherine Greenleaf, for The Journal-Opinion

Vermont lawmakers voted Monday, June 16 to ban smartphones and other electronic devices used by students during the school day. The goal is to improve academic performance as well as battle a disturbing rise in the rates of depression and anxiety among young people in the state.

Vermont joins 26 states that have passed laws restricting social media use in school, along with eight other states and the District of Columbia that have implemented rules or made policy recommendations to local districts, according to educational surveys.

A number of schools throughout the country have enacted partial restrictions on the use of social media, with some allowing limited access during instructional hours, or during recess, lunch, or in the hallways between classes. Vermont legislators, however, have adopted one of the strictest options available — that of enacting a full ban from arrival to dismissal, or what is otherwise known as the “bell-to-bell” approach, and includes prohibiting the use of smartphones, smartwatches, iPads and Apple pencils. 

House Bill 480, which was passed by voice vote with an overwhelming majority during a last minute, late-night legislative session, prohibits the use of personal electronic devices across the educational spectrum — including Vermont’s public and independent schools, career and technical institutes, as well as pre-qualified private pre-kindergarten programs. There will be some exceptions made to accommodate students with medical, special education or language needs, according to the language of the bill.

“The driving force behind this piece of legislation is the knowledge that smartphones and other social media like apps are stealing the attention of our kids,” said state Rep. Angela Arsenault, D-Williston, the lead sponsor of the bill.

Arsenault, who has two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, said she wishes the ban had been in place when her children were younger. She feels social media has become a crutch for kids.

“It’s sad, scary and infuriating,” she said. “(The students) think it’s a security blanket but it’s making them miss crucial developmental milestones.”

The bill also bars school administrators from announcing school activities on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, a prohibition that takes immediate effect, she said.

Governor Phil Scott is “supportive” of phone-free school policies, according to spokesperson Amanda Wheeler, making it unlikely a veto will be issued from his desk. 

The new law is set to take full effect by the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year, Arsenault said.

According to Arsenault, the legislation proposing a smartphone ban originated as a standalone bill (H54) but didn’t gain much momentum until it was attached to H480, a miscellaneous education bill. The House Education Committee then considered testimony on the bill and shared findings with the Senate Education Committee. At that point, the bill started to garner strong bipartisan support, she said.

Opposition to bills proposing smartphone bans have mostly involved testimony from parents worried about not being able to reach their children during the school day, particularly in emergencies like school shootings or natural disasters. Arsenault said there was no such opposition during the legislative sessions involving the Vermont bill.

PREVENTING ‘BRAIN DRAIN’

The language of the bill addresses the mental health crisis that young people are experiencing in the state of Vermont. The bill cites a key finding from the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey that shows 63 percent of high school students rated their mental health as “not good.” 

The survey also revealed extremely high social media usage for both middle school and high school students. The Pew Research Center reports nearly half of American teens confess they are online “almost constantly.” 

According to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the best-selling book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” social media use at such heavy levels can trigger a reduction in dopamine, creating increased irritability, loneliness, anxiety, and depression, which can, in turn, result in lower grade-point averages for students. 

Some critics of the ban argue students should have enough self-control to limit their own usage of social media. Experts disagree.

Haidt claims the still-maturing prefrontal cortex renders young people especially vulnerable to sustained changes in the brain’s reward system, shifting their general mood toward irritability and anxiety when separated from their phones, and reducing their ability to focus. 

“Kids don’t want to be left out of anything,” said Ravi Iyer, noted academic psychologist and research director for the Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making at the University of Southern California.

“With a smartphone it’s always, ‘how many likes did I get?’” said Iyer, who assisted Haidt in the writing of his book. 

“This makes self-control a real problem and they are often not able to resist. A ban on the other hand is freeing because it applies to all students and the kids don’t have to worry about missing out,” he said.

Discussion in the chambers focused on research, including Haidt’s book, showing how phone-free policies can boost learning and reduce incidences of hazing, harassment, and bullying in schools. 

Lawmakers also felt the phone-free policy could go a long way to reducing state education costs. Several studies are showing a smartphone ban can help prevent teacher burnout and turnover and can also help a school system achieve long-term economic benefits by better preparing students for higher education or the workforce.

“Removing cell phones and smart devices from schools is a win-win-win. I truly believe that the absence of these devices will improve social-emotional well-being, mental health, and academic performance,” said Representative Doug Bishop (D-Chittenden), a co-sponsor of the bill.

PUTTING PHONES IN LOCK-UP

School boards and administrators in Vermont are now tasked with crafting and enforcing policies that reflect the new law, which includes providing students with specially made lockers or lockable devices to store their smartphones during the school day, as well as coming up with the funds to pay for the deterrents.

Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vermont, the oldest independent secondary school in the state, took the initiative and voluntarily banned the use of smartphones at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

“It’s been game changing,” said Carrie Brennan, head of school at Thetford Academy. 

Brennan said she has been encouraged by the increased level of focus students are demonstrating in the classroom. She said she is also seeing more social engagement between students during lunchtime.

Enforcement of the new policy has not been an issue, according to Brennan. She said concerned community members recently donated $10,000 to the school, which was used to purchase lockable pouches for the smartphones.

Students are required to place their phone into a specially made pouch when they arrive at school, which is locked with a magnetic pin, much like the anti-theft tags used in clothing stores. Students keep the pouch with them but cannot access the phone until the end of the school day, when they are given access to a magnetic unlocking device.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Thetford Academy senior Ashlyn Osgood, who just graduated. 

“It keeps you from getting distracted and there are more face-to-face conversations with people,” she said.

BILL APPROVED BY TEACHERS

The bill received kudos from the Vermont-NEA, the 16,000-member educators’ union. 

“We are in support of this bill,” said Don Tinney, president of the organization. He said teachers have long struggled with the issue of smartphones in the classroom, and view them as an obstacle to learning.

“Our educators see cell phones as a major distraction and want them removed. Thanks to this bill, teachers will no longer be burdened with policing cell phone use in the classroom,” he said.

This news story is republished from the Journal-Opinion, the weekly newspaper based in Bradford and serving towns on both sides of the Connecticut River.