“In a high school cafeteria here on a recent snowy afternoon, a 10-foot stone giant backed by magical warriors fended off a goblin army. Nearby, a Bloodsport-inspired tournament featuring sentient trees was underway.
These imaginary battles—waged by students in Joel E. Ferris High School’s wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons club—are part of the Spokane school district’s real-life war against a foe many educators consider more insidious than any villain the role-playing game can conjure up: cellphone dependency.
Spokane, along with scores of districts nationwide, banned cellphones in middle and elementary schools at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. High schoolers must keep their phones away during class but are permitted to use them at lunch and at passing times.
Such bans are increasingly commonplace. At least 33 states and the District of Columbia require districts to place restrictions on cellphones during the school day, although research on whether banning cellphones contributes to better academic outcomes—or more improved social skills—is still emerging.
Typically, districts simply prohibit the devices that educators see as distracting students from learning and engaging with their peers and teachers.
Spokane’s leaders went further.”
— Alyson Klein, EducationWeek