Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order on Tuesday requiring the state's K-12 public schools to establish “cellphone-free” policies. 

The Details: The new policy requires Virginia’s Department of Education to establish new guidelines that will limit cellphone use in schools and go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The department will work with teachers, parents, and students to create methods “that establish the age-appropriate restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time.” 

For Context: Youngkin’s action arrives amid a growing debate about children's social media and cellphone use. Several studies have linked excessive screen time, especially on social media platforms, to mental health issues in children and adolescents. Similar policies have been implemented or are being considered in several other cities and states, including New York City and Los Angeles.

Key Quote: In a statement, Youngkin said, “Today’s Executive Order both establishes the clear goal to protect the health and safety of our students by limiting the amount of time they are exposed to addictive cell phones and social media and eliminates clear distractions in the classroom.”

How The Media Covered It: CNN (Lean Left bias) noted a report from Pew Research Center (Center bias) that found 72% of high school teachers think cell phone distraction is a “major problem in the classroom.” Fox News (Right bias) noted that the Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools, Jason Kamras, told The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) that a pilot ban last year yielded positive results. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.