Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is raising awareness about the harmful impact of phones in schools, pressing education leaders to consider limits that he says are already working in several states. His push aligns with recent efforts in places like Florida and Virginia, where classroom phone use has been curbed with positive results.
Kennedy visited a Virginia school alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin and described the atmosphere as focused and less chaotic — a sharp contrast to schools where phones remain part of daily routines. He praised the changes and pointed to improvements in classroom behavior and academic engagement.
BREAKING: RFK Jr. has announced that he is working with states to REMOVE cellphones from school.
“Cell phone use and social media use on the cell phone has been directly connected with depression, poor performance in schools, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.”
He is… pic.twitter.com/9LzBS4L909
— Dr. Simone Gold (@drsimonegold) March 21, 2025
On Fox & Friends, Kennedy detailed how social media and mobile devices have been linked to a rise in anxiety, poor school performance and even suicidal thoughts among young people. He said banning phones during school hours helps protect students and supports their ability to learn.
State lawmakers in nine states — including California, Indiana and Minnesota — have already passed rules to limit phones in public schools. Each version is tailored to local needs, but all share the goal of removing unnecessary distractions from the learning environment.
The public appears to support this direction. According to a Talker Research survey, 70% of Americans approve of phone bans in schools, with most citing academic performance as the driving factor. The most common objection was related to maintaining contact with children during emergencies.
Kennedy also made claims about potential health risks from prolonged phone exposure. Those statements sparked pushback from some scientists, who pointed to findings from the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health, both of which say the available evidence does not show that phones cause cancer.
Polling by the Pew Research Center shows that 68% of American adults support banning phones during class, while 36% believe they should be off-limits throughout the entire school day.
