She doesn't have a smartphone or a cellphone but does have an iPod touch where she can imessage others. We restrict access, don't allow group chats. All purchases have to be parent approved, and she's not allowed on social media sites/apps.

My son's school does not allow phones in the classroom at all. When he arrives in the morning, his phone goes in his locker and it has to stay there all day. I think this is a great policy and wish my older kids had the same rules.

Is the question asking elementary aged students use of cell phones or elementary schools allowing students to use cell phones? If the question is around elementary aged students it is our family's opinion that age 13 is when our child will be able to get a cell phone if they want to. They will need to help pay for the monthly plan, they will have their screen time limited to certain apps. It is also situational specific on whether they attend a sport or activity after school and we need to pick them up or find them...

Away for the day policies are best! Decreases social pressure to get a phone. My 4th grader struggles (it makes her really sad) being "the only one" without a phone. She is also saddened when teachers allow "bring your device" day for a behavioral/academic reward because we do not allow devices. She feels isolated and different from everyone. I hate it too.

I think it should not be allowed.

Our private school does not allow cell phones to be used during the school day period. That is grades 1st - 8th. All cell phones must be off and not in view during the school day. Not even at lunchtime.

They don't let them have the phones out at school. He typically leaves the phone in his jacket pocket and off. He is only allowed to use it on the bus and after school. This helps us know when the bus is coming, if there are issues with the bus.... we live in the mountains where weather can be a factor.

shouldn't be allowed!

Our school foes not allow use f cell phones - they must be kept turned off in backpacks if kids have them

Our son is allowed to use an old cell phone at swim meets, which are about once a month. He uses it to listen to music or play a parent approved video game. He typically uses it for 20 minutes at most and then he wants to interact with his teammates. It saddens me to see so many little (and big) kids on technology at swim meets. It is the perfect space to interact with others around a common activity. I often wonder what swimmers did before the dawn of technology. Did they play boardgames in between their events? Did they just hang out and talk? How did the entertain themselves when they were not in the water. We bring games to keep our kids off technology, but what ultimately ends up happening is that our kids look over the shoulder of the kid who has a phone and is playing a video game. It is not the level of interaction we hope for, but it is an uphill battle to get the kids to stay off technology unless all of the parents are in agreement to leave the devices at home.

don't allow kids to have phones at all

Cell phones are a distraction and possibly contain inappropriate content that I do not want my child seeing or hearing about and should not be allowed in the classroom or at recess or lunch/snacks.

Our daughter in grade 6 has a cell phone for safety, she walks to school. She has limited use but she is allowed to connect with friends, phone or text, in evenings. The phone is available for me to check on activity and not to be used beyond the set limits. It gives her freedom, ability to capture photographs and when allowed interact with others

Kids at our elementary aren’t allowed to use their phones during school. Which I think is good. But sometimes some teachers let the kids have an electronics party as a reward for good behavior/reading x pages etc. and my daughter has been the only one before who didn’t have a device to bring for the party. She brought a board game but no one wanted to play because they all would rather be on their device. It was sad!

Our son does not have cell just WiFi on my old phone. We use Circle but it has still posed a problem. His emotional control is clearly worse and it’s difficult for him to stop. He’s crossed the line with text language and sneakiness. We locked up the iPad and smart phone for several months. He is improving behavior and when allowed to use my laptop is learning history amazingly. We will slowly and carefully reintroduce the privilege. We have a family flip cell phone to take bike riding for real life independent activities. Thank you for your work and newsletters.

I do not think cell phones should be allowed in any way in elementary school with exceptions for health issues( I know a third grader who is able to monitor his on blood sugar using his phone so he can quickly treat himself).

I'm curious how many elementary kids are allowed to play fortnite.

Cell phones should not be allowed at school. The phones should be left in lockers at all times.

schools should not allow students to have their phones with them during the day

Elementary school should not allow cell phone use at school.

My hope is that someday they will not be allowed K-8. There is no need - schools have landlines if parents need to reach their kids and vice versa.

Hate it. No reason at such a young age. Should not be allowed

Children should not be allowed to have cell phones u til they are in high school. Even then the pull is too much for their brains. Old school cell phones should suffice until at least 15 and 16 better yet college.

I wish they were not allowed - at least to email a friend of communicate in google docs they would need to sit down at a computer and not have instant access in their pocket with phone. :(

I wish no one had phones in elementary school or that they were not allowed to use them during school.

should not be allowed.

At our school (which is K-12), most kids seem to get phones in 6th grade when they move to the upper campus, although middle school students are not allowed to use phones at any time on school premises during school hours.

I don’t think they should be allowed to bring them in elementary school. It’s completely unnecessary and a distraction for everyone.

The kids who have cells phones are not allowed to pull them out. They must remain in their bag.

Other than the kids who need cell phones to monitor their blood-sugar levels (diabetics), I don't think kids should be allowed to have cell phones at school. They are hugely distracting, and I think they result in less interaction at recess.

She is not allowed to use her phone in school

My 6th grader doesn't have one yet. When she turns 12 we will get her one, but will not allow any social media. I want her to be able to communicate with her friends, but am apprehensive, even at 12. We will do the same for our younger daughter, who is in 2nd grade. No way are elementary age kids ready.

Best to not allow them - no need at this age.

The only legitimate reason that I see for allowing younger children to have a cell phone is to make calls to their guardians when they’re old enough to have some independence — for example, to check in if they’re home alone after school or running late walking home from a friend’s house, etc. I’ve talked to many parents who seem to consider this a kind of necessary evil — they don’t really want their kids to have a phone, but they NEED to have it, they suggest. But I think we conflate convenience with need. It is convenient for our kids to be able to check in easily if they have a question or are running late, etc. We ought to ask whether that convenience outweighs whatever harm or disadvantages we think come with cell phones (whatever reasons these same parents claim they wish they didn’t need the phone...). Further, I think we ought to ask whether there are hidden costs to the ease of being in touch so quickly and easily (to children’s independence and ability to problem solve?).

At what age is best recommended to allow a child to have a cell phone?

Shouldn’t be allowed at school.

Our school does not prevent a child from bringing a cell phone to school, but it stays in the backpack. They are not allowed to use it at any time during the school day. Some teachers ask administrator permission to have a day when students may bring a device (for a reward) for some part of the day. I think students spend too much time on devices outside of school as it is. Using them as a reward in school only strengthens their power over our youngest minds!

Children should not be allowed to carry phones in elementary school classrooms or for supervised elementary school activities (e.g. recess)

Their school doesn’t allow them in school, and technically not on the bus - but the bus rule isn’t enforced.

I am disappointed (more like disgusted, actually) that so many parents are allowing their elementary-aged kids to have/use cell phones. Way too young, and totally unnecessary in my opinion. How is it that they are able to distinguish that it is not healthy to allow their kids to drink alcohol, watch tv all day, or eat sugar at every meal, but they are fine feeding them access to a super-computer designed for hooking adults - addictive gaming, influential advertisements, distracting time-waster social media sites....only a mature adult could carefully navigate how and when to appropriately use this sophisticated tool to enhance their life, rather than let it diminish their quality of life. Many adults are not even capable of that! Public schools are the worst, because they hesitate to establish strict rules, lest they "offend" families who claim to "need" their kids to have a phone, citing fear of some potential emergency. Private schools seem to do better, parents trust them more?

My child (with no phone) says when bus drivers allow devices on the buses, no one talks to anyone. He says he looks out the window when no one else talks.

Allowed to take cell to school to keep in contact with us.

Cell phones are not allowed in our school, except for children with certain medical conditions. In those cases they are to be kept out of sight and only used in emergencies.

We loved the Screenagers film, and as a mom of kids in today’s technologically driven world, I greatly value the work of Dr. Ruston. Our kids were in a public elementary school last year and previous years to this (we transferred them to a private school this year), but they certainly saw elementary-aged peers with cell phones in public school. We are incredibly relieved to see the private school they are at now (the school that showed a viewing of Screenagers years ago and the reason we know of your work) does not have a culture of cell phone use, and does not allow students to use phones at school or school-related events. What a difference this makes from the public environment that had no real restriction or concern for the rampant amount of media kids are exposed to today! We are grateful to have an alternative environment and a non-screen based peer group for our kids to be exposed to.

I believe kids should not be allowed cell phones at elementary school. They can use the school provided computers/iPads for educational purposes. If, they have to call home use the front office desk phone. Teach children CBT (thoughts, feelings, behaviour) and how to advocate for themselves.

We absolutely do not want cell phones allowed at schools in elementary school (or middle school and preferably at any school level)

Terrible idea. Should never be allowed!!!

It should not be allowed

I don't think they should be allowed

It should not be allowed. Period, end of discussion, no exceptions.

I would prefer they not be allowed during class time. If students have them, the phones should be turned off and in lockers until the end of the school day.

Ban it! Have kids check phones into office, allowing the check for messages from parents at lunchtime

School does nit allow use in school

It isn’t necessary and shouldn’t be allowed. The peer pressure is difficult. My daughter is naturally drawn to the kids that have phones and feels left out that she doesn’t have one.

They should not be allowed outside of the backpack during school hours. They hinder social interaction and learning how to get along with others and engage in hard but useful tasks.

All students at my child's district are provided with an iPad. Students in grades 5-12 are allowed to take them home with them. Grades K-4 leave them at school.

We shouldn’t allow it.

They should not be allowed.

Our school does not allow cell phones to be out of a students locker or bag during the school day.

only kids with medical needs (diabetics for instance) should be allowed to carry one. All others need to be turned into the office upon arrival.

Our school board has just placed a ban on kids using cell phones in class. Grade 6-8 kids are allowed to bring their phones out at nutrition breaks only. I like this decision as the kids were very distraced by their phones. Ontario, Canada

They should not be allowed. My child is asking for one.

They should not be allowed! There is no need for them and they only cause problems when the kids are older. By then, they expect to have one - but they still shouldn't!

I don’t think should be allowed.

As a parent I have watched cell phones ruin friendships as early as 3rd grade. They find out that there friend is at another friend's house, and didn't invite them, so they send mean texts. Then the other sends them back. Now they aren't friends. I am also an elementary school teacher. I don't allow phone use in the classroom. I cannot trust where kids will go and what apps they have that are safe.

Not necessary. Should not be allowed in schools.

I wish children under a certain age wouldn't be allowed cell phones!

It should not be allowed!

My husband and I have been talking about finding a device that would allow our son to text or connect with us. We feel he’s old enough and responsible enough to get dropped off at a local field to meet friends, but would feel safer knowing he could tech us if needed. A friend having a phone can be helpful.

They should not be allowed to be used during school hours.

I don't think they should be allowed if they have internet, or texting features. My son has a watch that he can only call or text simple pre written text phrases or leave a voice msg to my husband or me

My daughter in grade 7 also does not have one. I feel all schools should have mandatory wifi scramblers so that children with data plans cannot look up whatever they want. I also feel cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms at any age.

My feeling is that cell phones should not be allowed at all in elementary schools

Should not be allowed to have cell phones in elementary

No cell phones allowed.

Don’t think phones should be allowed in any classroom K-12

wish more parents knew about and had access to low-tech, low cost communication devices/options to allow them to text or communicate with their kids that didn't allow the myriad of social media options to distract kids.

Our school is 4-8. We have taken a step back and are not allowing cell phone usage even in the 7-8 grades. There is NO reason for younger children to have a phone.

shouldn't be allowed, phones should be in backpacks all day until end of school

It definitely should not be allowed. It is a total distraction to learning and kids are going on sites they should not be on. School administrators are very weak when it comes to taking a stand on preventing cell phone use in school.

My child is one of the only one in 5th grade without a phone but I'm pleased that her current K-5 school doesn't allow them in the classroom so there hasn't been a huge difference while at school. After school and on the weekends, the pressure is much greater.

I do not feel children in elementary schools need a phone and if they do have one they should not be allowed to use it during school hours.

It should not be allowed

They aren’t allowed to use their phones during school hrs & I use Apple’s Screen Time feature to limit his usage

Our school system currently has a bring your own device policy for 3-5th graders that they are allowed to use it during free time or if teachers permit. It is very difficult to enforce.

They aren’t allowed to have them unless you have diebetes, is what my second grader says.

Our child leaves her phone in her backpack, turned off. She is only allowed to use it after school

In our schools, the more disadvantaged kids get cell phones first. It seems like the more educated the parents, the later the kids are allowed to get phones. The rule in our house is day or two before 9th grade begins. My older kids were some of the last to get a phone. They do have access to a tablet and laptop at home.

I am bothered that they are allowed to be used on "electronics day" (which happens several times a year). Unlike the chromebooks that every student in our building has, the content is not filtered, and I don't want my child to see or hear anything via another student's device. Also, the kids with cell phones withdraw from their peers after getting their phones, and this is a big concern. (Qualifying my response by saying I both volunteer and work in my son's school. I've coached robotics and other after school programs, and I work with math and reading interventions in the building, so I see these kids often, both in and out of school.

There is absolutely no need for elementary school children to have cell phones. If they do have them, they should not be allowed in the classroom.

They should not be allowed. Or at least they should be shutoff and stored with the teacher, principal, or in the child’s backpack

I believe cell phones use in schools should be prohibited up until high school and then in high school limited use. Our middle schools don’t allow cell phones so School is still a safe place for those students

They should not be allowed in schools I feel my right to keep my child in a safe environment violated.

I do not think students should be allowed to bring cell phones into the classroom, especially in elementary school

Should not be allowed. Period.

Allowing any child, especially below the age of 16, a cell phone is like welcoming strangers into their lives (people you don't know and don't have any influence over). We then act perplexed when they taking up vape cigarettes, dress inappropriately, use foul language, have a lack of empathy, are drawn to mass materialism, seem vapid and uninterested in family (or anyone older than 20 yrs old) and yell at you when you try to impose limits on their electronic devices. It's time to wake up and smell the social media addiction!