States Implement Measures to Limit Classroom Screen Time for Students

Last updated: July 24, 2026

NewsWK — In response to growing concerns over screen time in education, several states have enacted laws aimed at regulating how much time students can spend looking at screens during school hours. This trend follows the recent implementation of cellphone bans in many high schools across the country.

This year, four states have successfully passed legislation targeting screen time for students in grades ranging from childcare to fifth grade. For instance, Iowa has set a limit of 60 minutes of digital instruction per day for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with certain exceptions for special education and assessments.

Utah has also taken steps by instructing its education board to establish specific rules regarding technology use, which includes limiting screen time for younger students and addressing device-to-student ratios in elementary schools. Additionally, Tennessee has mandated that all districts and charter schools serving K-5 students create age-appropriate policies to reduce unnecessary screen exposure.

Alabama has enacted a law requiring the formation of screen time standards and teacher training for childcare facilities and early education programs. However, similar proposals in Missouri and Oklahoma, which aimed to enforce screen time regulations, did not pass, facing challenges in the Senate and opposition from technology industry advocates.

As the trend of cellphone bans continues, some school districts are proactively adopting policies to manage instructional screen time. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District has implemented systemwide limits on screen time, banning instructional screens before second grade and gradually increasing limits for older students.

Inanna Balkin, a high school senior from Massachusetts, emphasized the importance of teaching students to manage their screen time responsibly rather than simply restricting access. She stated, “Automatically not having access to your phone or a screen during the day kind of doesn’t allow for students to be responsible for their own management when school is over.”

While there is no comprehensive national data on the amount of screen time used in classrooms, the issue has gained attention from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Experts suggest that the focus should not solely be on the duration of screen use, but also on the quality of that time.

Virginia has responded by requiring public schools to provide instruction about the implications of electronic device usage, while Maine is conducting research to evaluate technology use in classrooms.