LISTEN: Emory University’s annual survey of Georgia parents finds most are in favor of a statewide ban on cellphones in the state’s public high schools. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge has more on what Emory’s Center for Child Health Policy learned.

A student puts a cellphone in her pocket in a school hallway

Doss High School student Mia Rivera demonstrates how she puts her phone away before the start of school on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Louisville, Ky.

Credit: (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan)

Starting this year, Georgia kids in public elementary and middle schools cannot use their phones during the school day with some exceptions for checking messages during lunch period. A bill currently making its way through the Georgia General Assembly would include high schools and take effect in July 2027. 

Emory University’s annual survey of Georgia parents finds most are in favor of such a statewide ban on cellphones in the state’s public high schools. 

The Emory Center for Child Health Policy polled parents of school-age children between October and November 2025 and found parents supporting the high school cellphone ban feel it will improve students’ academic focus and learning (88%), foster better in-person social interactions (71%), and improve student mental health and well-being (69%).

Two studies from the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences also suggest cellphones can have a negative impact on family relationships and youth mental health, and that electronic media use, especially among young girls, can increase family conflict as well as widen gaps in emotional sharing between parents and kids. 

State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a news release that he hears directly from students, parents, and educators that students’ ability to learn without distractions is both an academic issue and a mental health issue. 

"This is why we are calling for Georgia’s distraction-free legislation to be extended into grades 9 through 12, to end the harm caused by constant technology access and interruption,” he said.

Julie Gazmararian, a professor of epidemiology with the Rollins School of Public Health, said her team is already starting, in terms of doing research. 

"Evaluating the impact of those policies and continuing to work closely with the schools and Department of Education and legislators, and sharing results of what we're seeing after policies are implemented," she said.

More than 9 in 10 (93%) of high school students in Georgia are using social media and social gaming platforms and spending nearly five hours per day on screens for entertainment, the poll found. 

Most Georgia parents opposed to a ban worry about communication with their child in the event of a school emergency, she said. 

 

Technology Use, Parental Concerns, and Policy Attitudes Among Georgia Parents 

Support for High School Cellphone Ban 

Question: Do you support high schools banning student cellphone use during the school day? 

Response        Overall % (SE)
Yes                        70.8 (2.1)
No                         29.2 (2.1)

 

Reasons for Supporting a High School Cellphone Ban 

Asked among parents who support a ban. 

Reason                                                                              Overall % (SE)                
Improved academic focus and learning 87.7 (1.8)  
Improved in-person social interactions  71.2 (2.6)
Improved mental health and wellbeing  69.1 (2.6)
Improved physical health and safety 60.3 (2.9)

 

Reasons for Opposing a High School Cellphone Ban

Asked among parents who oppose a ban. 

Reason Overall % (SE)                
Should be parental choice 45.5 (4.2)          
No way to reach child during emergency 74.8 (3.5)          
Phones needed for health tools/apps 26.6 (3.6)          
Phones needed for schoolwork  19.8 (2.9)          
Students need to learn responsible use 41.9 (4.2)            

 

Child Use of Social Media or Social Gaming 

Question: Does your child use social media or social gaming sites (e.g., TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Roblox)?  

Response Overall % (SE) 
Yes                        70.2 (2.3)
No                         29.8 (2.3) 

 

Parental Concerns About Social Media or Social Gaming 

Question: What concerns do you have about your child’s use of social media or social gaming? (Select all that apply) 
Asked among parents whose child uses social media or gaming. 

Concern                                                                                                            Overall % (SE) 
Accessing harmful content 50.7 (2.8)
Amount of time spent                                                                              53.7 (2.8)
Bullying or harassment 36.0 (2.6)
Creating poor body image 18.4 (2.0)
Distracted from school, sleep, or physical activity 51.0 (2.8)
Purchasing drugs 9.8 (1.5)
Social media companies using child’s data  29.7 (2.5)
Time taken away from family or friends 41.5 (2.8)
No concerns 11.9 (1.9) 

Source: Emory Center for Child Health Policy’s The State of Child Health and Well-Being in Georgia 2026 report. 

Tags: Georgia  Mental Health  health  Cell Phone Ban  GPB News  Children's Health  schools 
GPB’s Health Reporting is supported by Georgia Health Initiative

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