Last spring, a middle school teacher shared a moment that captured the growing challenge educators face. As I’m trying to teach a math lesson, students are constantly glancing at their phones as they send and receive messages and videos. I sometimes feel like I’m trying to compete against TikTok for the attention of my students, and I’m losing.
This fall, that teacher—and thousands like her across Tennessee—may find it a little easier to hold students’ focus. That’s because a new law, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) § 49-6-4214, officially restricts students’ use of cell phones and other internet-connected devices during instructional time in public schools.
The full text of the statute, as enacted under House Bill 932, requires each Local Education Agency (LEA) and public charter school to adopt a policy prohibiting student use of wireless communication devices during instructional time. Exceptions exist for emergencies, medical needs, and circumstances outlined in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.
Full Statute Link: https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB0932.pdf
Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) § 49-6-4214
Tennessee joins a wave of states and school districts across the country that have implemented similar restrictions in response to growing concerns about the role of cell phones in classrooms. Here are a few notable examples:
Educators and lawmakers cite several reasons for restricting cell phone use, supported by numerous studies. According to a 2023 study by the London School of Economics, schools that implemented cellphone bans saw test scores improve by 6.4% on average, with the most significant gains among low-achieving students.
Another 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that teens who spent more than three hours per day on social media were twice as likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. The study linked excessive screen time to poorer sleep, increased risk of cyberbullying, and reduced social interaction.
The Pew Research Center reports that 59% of teens say they feel “pressure to look good” on social media, and 44% say they feel overwhelmed by the drama it brings. Teachers consistently report that phones interfere with classroom focus, increase cheating, and contribute to social isolation.
Despite growing support, not everyone is convinced these laws are constitutional. Critics argue such statutes infringe on students’ First Amendment rights (free speech), Fourth Amendment protections (unreasonable searches), and Fourteenth Amendment due process.
However, courts have generally upheld these laws. In Price v. New York City Board of Education (2008), the court ruled that the ban did not violate constitutional rights and was reasonably related to the goal of maintaining classroom order.
In Koch v. Adams (Arkansas, 2010), the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the confiscation of a student’s phone, finding it was not an unconstitutional seizure.
In J.W. v. DeSoto County School District (Mississippi), the court sided with the school’s policy of searching a student’s phone under the reasonable suspicion standard, lower than the probable cause required in general law enforcement.
These rulings affirm that while students do not lose constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, those rights can be limited in ways that support educational purposes and maintain discipline.
Tennessee’s new cellphone law reflects a national trend—one that’s rooted in data and legal precedent. As students return to school this fall, they’ll be bringing books, pencils, and backpacks—but not their phones, at least not for use during class.
