On Easter Sunday in 2012, my family lost our joyful, kind-hearted daughter Grace to suicide—at the dawn of smartphone and social media availability. At the time, few understood the invasive and pervasive nature of cyberbullying. But today, we know better.
The rise of smartphones and social media usage has spawned a serious public health crisis—one that demands immediate action from our state leaders.
Research now shows that cyberbullying is an independent risk factor for depression and suicidality, and the trajectory of smartphone adoption tracks very closely with the alarming decline in child mental health and lowered cognitive ability. For the safety and well-being of our children, electronic devices should not be accessible during the school day.
Thankfully, this month, Maryland lawmakers held a hearing before the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee on the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, Senate Bill 928, cross-filed from House Bill 525. This important legislation would require all school districts across the state to implement policies that prevent students from accessing phones during the entire school day—from bell to bell.
While some Maryland schools already have policies in place to restrict student smartphone use during the school day, the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act would establish a clear, statewide standard to be implemented at schools across the state. Under this bill, every student, in every district, would benefit from the protections of a phone-free school day.
In states across the country, phone-free school policies are gaining bipartisan momentum because they work. When schools implement bell-to-bell policies—where devices are securely stored and remain inaccessible to students for the entire school day—academic performance improves. Teachers regain instructional time. Students concentrate more deeply. Classrooms become places of engagement, free from the near-constant distraction of smartphones.
But the benefits extend well beyond academics. Reducing screen time during the school day helps lower students’ exposure to the real harms of excessive phone and social media use, including anxiety, sleep disruption, and body image concerns. In phone-free schools, students talk to one another more, collaborate more, and report a stronger sense of belonging. Incidents of cyberbullying, harassment, and fighting decline.
Phone-free environments also help schools better protect students from privacy violations, exposure to explicit content, and the serious harms associated with nonconsensual photos and videos.
Maryland lawmakers have both an opportunity—and an urgent responsibility—to keep students safe from the harmful technologies and social media platforms that cause such distractions during the school day. We may not be able to undo the harm already done to my family and countless others, but we can help prevent the next tragedy.
We are one of the only states in the nation without a state-wide policy. Our state has been at the forefront nationally in passing laws protecting child privacy, well-being, and safety, and the swift passage of the Phone-Free Schools Act is the next needed step. I urge Maryland lawmakers to pass this critical legislation this legislative session.