The governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, issued an executive order to completely ban cell phones during the school day. This ban is going to go into effect on January 1st of 2025, and will affect all K-12 schools in the state of Virginia. 

This decision was made to prevent distractions from impeding the learning of all students, keeping them off their cell phones during the school day. Youngkin stressed his support for the order in a press release. 

 “[This order is] an important step towards creating a healthier learning environment where students can receive a quality education free from harmful distractions,” Youngkin said. 

This has been more and more common in recent years, as counties and states have begun to crack down hard on cell phones, in order to increase focus and eliminate what may be seen as a threat to the mental health of students.

This order directs the Virginia Department of Education to establish restrictions around cell phone usage, specifically during the school day, during which students are not allowed to use their phones at all. The ban also suggests the usage of cell phone pouches (such as those used in some FCPS schools already) or cell phone lockers as options for limiting cell phones.

Critics argue that cell phones should be available for students to use in the case of an emergency, like in the event of a lockdown. Lockdowns are increasingly being cited as concerns  due to the rise of gun violence.

“Parents should use school-based communication tools and channels to communicate emergencies [with students] during bell-to-bell instructional time,” The Virginia Department of Education stated in a guide for the ban.

According to the CDC, the rate of suicide has increased 167% from 2010 to 2019 for girls, and 91% for boys. This is in part due to the usage of social media. People who spend more time on social media have a far higher risk of depression, and depression is linked to suicide. Teenagers spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on social media, and this can be very harmful for their mental health, as using social media has long been linked with declines in mental health. While schools can’t control what students do in their time out of school, they can do something about students using their phones during school hours.

Overall, this policy aims to create a more focused learning environment for students by eliminating the distraction of cell phones from classrooms. “Together, we’re creating a healthier, safer and more focused learning environment for our children,” Governor Youngkin said. 

This policy affects South Lakes, as this school is under the executive order. SLHS is not exempt because of its status as a pilot school in FCPS’s phone plan, since this is a state-wide ban. This has wide reaching implications, since this order so profoundly affects the way things are run. Students will no longer have free reign over their phones during passing periods and lunchtime. 

Since cell phone use is so prevalent during those periods, teachers and administrators may have a difficult time putting this ban into effect. High school students will have to completely rethink how they do things, since cell phones will be prohibited during these times.