More Americans now support than oppose all-day school cellphone bans
- snitzoid
- 6 hours ago
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This little brats need to learn to pay attention!
More Americans now support than oppose all-day school cellphone bans
By Jeffrey Gottfried, Pew Research
July 29, 2026
About three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) support in-class cellphone bans for middle and high school students. This finding marks the second consecutive year of rising support for the policy, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted May 26-June 1, 2026. Just 18% say they oppose such a ban, while 6% are unsure.
And for the first time, more Americans now support than oppose a ban on students using cellphones during the entire school day.
About half of U.S. adults (48%) back “bell-to-bell” school cellphone bans for middle and high school students, up from 36% in 2024. Still, 43% oppose the idea, while 8% are not sure.
This growth in support for all-day cellphone bans comes as more states have enacted such policies. In a 2025 survey by the Center, majorities of U.S. adults said all-day bans would improve students’ grades, social skills and class behavior. Far fewer said the same about students’ physical safety.
Views by age
Support for in-class and all-day cellphone bans is lower among the youngest adults. Still, support for both policies has increased among all age groups since 2024, when we first asked.
Majorities of all age groups support an in-class ban. Roughly six-in-ten adults under 30 (57%) favor the idea – on par with last year but up from 45% in 2024. Support is far higher among older age groups.
When it comes to all-day bans, 28% of adults under 30 express support. By comparison, at least half of Americans 30 and older back all-day bans.
Views by party
There is broad support in both parties for in-class cellphone bans, though more so among Republicans. About eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners (81%) favor the idea, as do 74% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
A majority of Republicans (55%) back all-day cell phone bans for middle and high school students, compared with 44% of Democrats.
Note: Here are the questions we used for this analysis, the topline and the survey methodology.
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