As a mom, I’ve seen how we’ve traded real, in-person connection for screens and algorithms designed to keep us hooked—at the cost of meaningful relationships. In his best-selling book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt writes:
“The phone-based life produces spiritual degradation, not just in adolescents, but in all of us.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’m old enough to remember what coffee shops and restaurants were like before smartphones. You looked up instead of down. You talked to the person next to you, not just the contact in a text bubble. Today, an entire generation of young people barely knows what that feels like. They’re living a phone-based life, and it’s hurting them.
School should be a place for learning and connection—not constant distraction.
Even with current rules requiring phones to be put away during instruction, the reality is that a vibrating phone in a pocket or bag still pulls a student’s attention away from the teacher. Removing smartphones for the entire school day would help kids be present, engaged, and ready to learn. It would also give them the chance to build real friendships and improve their mental health.
I’ll admit—my perspective has evolved. I used to believe my kids needed their phones at school, especially my daughter. I wanted to reach her anytime to make sure she was safe. But as I’ve learned more and seen the impact on my children—and on me—I’ve changed my mind. The addictive nature of smartphones and the toll on mental health are real. We need to act.
Today, I even plan to encourage lawmakers to review the medical exemptions in this bill to ensure there aren’t better alternatives that allow kids to put their phones away while still getting the support they need. After all, we all survived and thrived without cell phones for generations. We can do it again—and honestly, we desperately need to.
I’m grateful to the authors of SB78 for taking this issue seriously. Today, I’m urging the committee to pass this bill and make our schools truly smartphone-free. Our kids deserve the chance to focus, learn, and connect—without the constant pull of a screen.
If you agree, take the pledge today. Together, we can give our children the focus, safety, and academic success they deserve. Every voice matters—yours can make a real difference. Speak up at the Statehouse, share your story online, or record a quick video using this tool. Let’s show lawmakers that Indiana students deserve classrooms where they can truly learn and thrive.
