Table of Contents
Away For The Day: The Phone-Free School Campaign, Nine Years On
Away For The Day began in 2017 asking schools to put phones away all day. Now most states restrict phones. What the newest research finds, and what to ask.
In 2017, the team behind the Screenagers documentaries started a small campaign with a simple ask: keep phones, smartwatches and other personal devices away for the entire school day. They called it Away For The Day and offered free posters, sample policies and a pledge. Nine years later, at least 38 states and the District of Columbia require districts to ban or restrict student phones, according to Education Week’s tracker. The campaign did not do that alone, but the idea it pushed went from fringe to mainstream. So what has the evidence shown now that thousands of schools have tried it? Phone use drops dramatically. The first year is rough. Test scores barely move at first and may rise later. And enforcement fades unless someone keeps it up.
Key Takeaways
- Away For The Day, from the Screenagers team since 2017, asks schools to keep phones and smartwatches away “all day,” not only during class, and provides free toolkits and sample policies.
- At least 38 states plus D.C. now require districts to ban or restrict phones (Education Week, June 2026). Worldwide, 79 education systems, or 40% of those tracked, had school phone bans by the end of 2024 (UNESCO).
- The largest US study, covering schools using Yondr pouches, found phone use fell substantially, discipline rose in year one and faded, and average test-score effects were “consistently close to zero.”
- A Florida district study found scores flat at first and up about 3.5 points by year two, with fewer unexcused absences.
- Enforcement slips: teen-reported in-school phone use rose from 28% to 42% over the 2025–26 school year, and less in bell-to-bell schools.
What Away For The Day Is and How It Started
Away For The Day is a campaign that asks schools to keep phones, smartwatches and other personal devices put away for the whole school day, including lunch and passing periods. Its website describes it as coming “from the team behind the Screenagers movement and documentary series” and says the movement began in 2017.
The site offers free tools for parents, teachers and principals: a step-by-step “Take Action” toolkit, example policies, printable posters and a pledge of support. It states that “research shows that kids and teens do better with phones, smartwatches and other personal devices away during school hours,” though the homepage does not cite specific studies. The campaign is also woven into the films; the 2024 Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition promotes it, and its launch post suggested families discuss: “What do we think about Away For The Day policies?”
What teens told the campaign
In 2023, the Screenagers team ran an anonymous online survey of 286 US high schoolers. Ninety-two percent said elementary students should not have phone access during class, 71% said the same for middle schoolers, and 38% for high schoolers. It was a small convenience sample from the films’ own audience, so treat it as a snapshot. But the pattern is telling: teens back limits for younger kids more than for themselves.
From Campaign to State Law
The policy landscape changed fast. Education Week’s tracker, reported in June 2026, counts at least 38 states plus D.C. that require districts to ban or restrict student phone use. Most require bell-to-bell restrictions; others apply only during instructional time.
The shift is global. UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report found that by the end of 2023, 60 education systems (30%) had smartphone bans in law or policy. By the end of 2024, 19 more had joined, bringing the total to 79, or 40%. UNESCO’s position is measured: students should learn the risks and opportunities of technology, but “only technology that has a clear role in supporting learning should be allowed in school.”
Public support in the US is strong. A nationally representative USC survey published by Brookings in January 2026 found 76% of teens and 93% of adults preferred some restriction on phones during the school day. Nearly half of teens worried about effects on students’ happiness, but in five of six areas a clear majority saw no downside.
What the Evidence Now Shows
Nine years ago, the case for phone-free schools rested mostly on common sense and small studies. Now there is real data.
The biggest US study: phone use drops, scores barely move at first
In April 2026, economists Hunt Allcott, E. Jason Baron, Thomas Dee, Angela Duckworth, Matthew Gentzkow and Brian Jacob released “The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches” as an NBER working paper, revised in September. It combines teacher surveys, GPS location pings, test scores and administrative records with sales data from Yondr, the largest pouch provider, which partnered with the authors. The analysis was pre-registered.
Findings:
- Pouch adoption “substantially reduces phone use.”
- Disciplinary incidents rise in the first year, then fade.
- There is “suggestive evidence” that well-being falls in year one, then recovers and turns positive.
- Average test-score effects are “consistently close to zero,” with modest gains in high school math and small declines in middle schools.
- Little evidence of effects on attendance, self-reported attention or perceived online bullying.
This is a working paper, not yet peer-reviewed, and Yondr’s partnership means the data came from schools that bought its product. But it is the largest look so far, and its message is clear: removing phones changes behavior quickly and grades slowly, if at all.
A Florida district: gains show up in year two
David Figlio and Umut Özek studied one large, unnamed Florida district with a bell-to-bell ban, published in Education Next in May 2026. According to The 74’s report, daily phone visits fell by more than 80%. Test scores rose modestly, about 3.5 points by the second year, with the largest gains in schools where phone use had been highest. Unexcused absences dropped significantly, which the authors suggest may partly explain the gains.
There was a cost. In-school suspensions rose about 25% in the first year, and at high-use schools the rate for Black students rose 30% while rates for white and Hispanic students held steady. Suspensions returned to pre-ban levels in year two. Figlio called the disparity “a cause for concern.”
Enforcement fades
A USC analysis published by Brookings in September 2026 tracked what happened over one school year. Teen-reported phone use during the school day rose from 28% at the start of 2025–26 to 42% by the end. In bell-to-bell schools, use in core classes rose 10 points (25% to 35%); under more flexible policies it rose 18 points (32% to over 50%). Nearly half of teens said teachers became less strict, while 60% of adults saw no change. The authors still concluded that the findings “support continued implementation and enforcement of phone restrictions.”
The Campaign’s Claims Against the Evidence
| Away For The Day idea | What the evidence shows | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Phones away all day, not just in class | Bell-to-bell policies held up better than flexible ones as enforcement slipped (USC/Brookings 2026) | Supported |
| Students do better with phones away | Phone use drops sharply; average test effects near zero at first (NBER 2026), small gains by year two in Florida | Partly supported; effects small and delayed |
| Teens will adapt | Discipline and well-being dip in year one, then recover (NBER 2026) | Supported, after a rough first year |
| Parents and teens want limits | 76% of teens and 93% of adults support some restriction (USC/Brookings Jan. 2026) | Supported |
| A ban is enough | Use creeps back without enforcement; Spokane’s superintendent says kids need something to fill the void | Not on its own |
What This Means for Your Kid’s School
The biggest lesson of nine years is that the policy is the easy part. Education Week reported that Spokane’s superintendent, Adam Swinyard, put it this way: “It’s not enough just to take these devices away.” His district expanded clubs, sports and other activities so kids had something to do instead.
Two more lessons stand out. First, expect year one to be bumpy, with more discipline and some unhappiness, and judge the policy on year two and beyond. Second, watch for uneven enforcement. The Florida data suggest phone rules can fall harder on some students than others, which is a reason for clear, consistently applied procedures.
For a broader summary of earlier research, see our look at school phone ban research from 2025, and for the home side, what research says about a phone-free childhood.
What Parents Can Do
Ask what the policy actually is
“Bell-to-bell” and “during instruction” are very different. Ask your school which it uses, where phones go (pockets, lockers, pouches) and whether smartwatches are included. Smartwatches are a common gap.
Ask how it is enforced, and for whom
Who enforces it, what happens on a first violation, and does the school track whether consequences fall evenly across groups of students? Those are fair questions, given the Florida findings.
Support the replacement, not just the removal
Ask what lunch and free periods look like now. Clubs, games, open playgrounds and library time are what make the policy work. Offer to help run one.
Stay calm about the first year
If your kid complains in the fall, that is consistent with the research. Ask again in spring and next year.
Model it at home
A phone-free school day loses force if every dinner is phone-full. Pick one daily phone-free window as a family, such as meals or the first hour after school.
What not to do
Don’t expect a ban to raise grades quickly; the evidence says effects are small and slow. Don’t campaign for a ban without asking how it will be enforced fairly. And don’t assume your child’s school has a policy because your state passed a law; implementation varies by district.
What to Watch For Over the Next 3 Months
- Week 4: Do you know your school’s exact policy, including smartwatches and lunch? Has your kid described how it works in practice?
- Month 2 red flags: policy on paper but phones everywhere in practice, rising discipline for one group of students, or your child seeming more isolated at lunch with nothing to replace the phone.
- Month 3 self-check: Ask your child whether the school day feels different. Then ask the school whether it is measuring anything (attendance, discipline, surveys). For younger kids, our guide to the Screenagers Elementary School Edition covers the age 5 to 10 side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Away For The Day?
Away For The Day is a campaign launched in 2017 by the team behind the Screenagers documentaries. It asks schools to keep phones, smartwatches and other personal devices away for the entire school day, and offers free toolkits, sample policies, posters and a pledge for parents, teachers and principals.
Do school phone bans improve grades?
Not quickly. The largest US study, an NBER working paper on lockable pouches, found average test-score effects “consistently close to zero.” A Florida district study found scores flat at first and up about 3.5 points by year two, with fewer unexcused absences. Phone use itself drops sharply.
How many states ban phones in school?
At least 38 states plus the District of Columbia require districts to ban or restrict student phones, according to Education Week’s tracker as of June 2026. Most require bell-to-bell restrictions. Globally, UNESCO counted 79 education systems with school phone bans by the end of 2024.
Why is the first year of a phone ban hard?
Both major studies found disciplinary incidents rose in year one and then returned to normal. The NBER study also found suggestive evidence that student well-being dipped in year one before recovering and turning positive. Students and staff are adjusting to new routines.
Is bell-to-bell better than class-only?
The evidence leans that way. A 2026 USC analysis found phone use in core classes rose 10 points over a school year in bell-to-bell schools versus 18 points under more flexible policies. Bell-to-bell rules are easier to enforce consistently.
About the author
Ricky Flores is the founder of HiWave Makers and an electrical engineer with 15+ years of experience building consumer technology at Apple, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. He writes about how kids learn to build, think, and create in a tech-saturated world. Read more at hiwavemakers.com.
Sources
- Away For The Day. (n.d.). Homepage. https://www.awayfortheday.org/
- Screenagers. (2023, October 10). “What High Schoolers Really Think About Phones in the Classroom: Survey Results Are In!” https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog/high-schoolers-phones-classroom-survey
- Screenagers. (2024, August 13). “Introducing Our New Movie - Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition.” https://screenagersmovie.com/blog/introducing-our-new-movie-saes
- Vilcarino, J. (2026, June 18). “‘Anxious Generation’ Author Jonathan Haidt and Others Tackle Tech Overuse.” Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/anxious-generation-author-jonathan-haidt-and-others-tackle-tech-overuse/2026/06
- UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report. (2023, updated January 24, 2025). “To ban or not to ban? Monitoring countries’ regulations on smartphone use in school.” https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/smartphones-school-only-when-they-clearly-support-learning
- Allcott, H., Baron, E. J., Dee, T., Duckworth, A. L., Gentzkow, M., & Jacob, B. (2026). “The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches.” NBER Working Paper 35132 (not peer-reviewed). https://www.nber.org/papers/w35132
- The 74. (2026, May 12). “Florida Study: Cellphone Bans Promote Academic Gains … After a Year or So” (on Figlio & Özek, Education Next). https://www.the74million.org/article/florida-study-cellphone-bans-promote-academic-gains-after-a-year-or-so/
- Saavedra, A., Rapaport, A., & Silver, D. (2026, January 26). “Survey: Parents and teens support school cellphone bans, and most don’t perceive major downsides.” Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/survey-parents-and-teens-support-school-cellphone-bans-and-most-dont-perceive-major-downsides
- K-12 Dive. (2026, September 15). “Cellphone ban enforcement may be waning over school year” (on USC CARE analysis by Silver, Rapaport & Polikoff). https://www.k12dive.com/news/cellphone-ban-enforcement-may-be-waning-over-school-year/830347/
