Virginia to start student cellphone restrictions in grades K-12 by January

July 10 (UPI) -- Virginia has joined a growing list of states and other places seeking to limit or ban the use of cellphone and social media by young people in public schools.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, on Tuesday signed Executive Order 33 which directs multiple state departments or officials, including Virginia's Education Department, to put in place new guidelines for a cell-free education by January next year.

"This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn," the governor said in a news release. "Creating cellphone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia's K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators."

A draft is expected by August 15 with a final guidelines expected to be issued in September.

While not an outright ban, it would restrict phones for public schools in grades K-12, and calls for ideas like the implementation of pouches or "phone lockers" while other protocols are figured out ahead of it's 2025 start.

Youngkin cites the time spent by kids on their phones, an average of 5 hours, and the growing concerns over social media and its tie to mental health issues.

It comes as the U.S. surgeon general in June called for warning labels on social media similar to those attached to cigarettes.

"Government cannot be the sole solution to this crisis," said Virginia's Education Secretary Aimee Guidera.

At least 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a "major problem in the classroom," according to a Pew Research Center report last week.

"School communities -- especially parents and teachers -- must work together to discuss and develop common sense approaches to limit screen time, prioritize open channels of communication, and re-establish norms that reinforce healthy and vibrant learning communities," stated Guidera.

This arrives weeks after as the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest school district, in a 5 to 2 school board vote in June banned students from their smartphones and social media during school, breaks and lunch.

Following that, New York City's Public Schools Chancellor David Banks indicated during an interview that a similar plan like LA's could be in the works for New York's significantly large public school system in the city, calling phones not only distractions, but an addiction and a "major issue," and that a formal announcement could happen at a later date.

States like Ohio, Florida and Indiana have already passed similar laws with several other states actively considering similar steps, including New York which in June took steps to place some restrictions by limiting the amount of data social media companies can collect and use

Meanwhile, California state lawmakers have introduced AB 3216 that would require California school districts to limit or ban cellphones at school as early as July 2026, with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom recently calling for a statewide ban on smartphone use in California schools.