Rutgers Research Provides Roadmap For NJ's School Cell Phone Ban

Starting this fall, New Jersey's "bell-to-bell" law goes into effect, prohibiting cell phone use throughout the day at public schools. It's a policy designed to reclaim student focus and mental health, and it's rooted in Rutgers research.

In 2025, a faculty and student team led by Jeffrey Lane, associate professor with Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Communication and Information, partnered with Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel to conduct online survey of 923 parents and 202 teens from across the state on how social media shapes adolescent life. Their findings provided a roadmap for state lawmakers.

"This success could not have been possible without the help of the research team at Rutgers University's School of Communication and Information," said Senator Paul Moriarty, a prime sponsor of the law. "Their comprehensive research into this issue, which included direct surveys of parents and adolescents, helped provide essential data that shaped the recommendations of the Commission and in turn this groundbreaking legislation that strives to help students across the state."

We spoke with Lane about the results of that survey, how schools can work with students and parents to implement the ban and whether it can improve the academic, emotional and physical well-being of teens.

What were the big takeaways from your survey of parents and teens?

There are three really big concerns that parents in New Jersey voiced: social media impact on teen sleep, physical activity, and attention span. The teens also shared these three concerns. This was a major finding. It showed parents and teens are aligned on these three issues.

Were there areas where parents and teens were not aligned on cell phone and social media use?

There is an awareness gap. Teens are using it during class and late at night more than their parents are aware. Almost one in four teens report using social media in class. But if you ask their parents, only about one in 10 say their teens use social media in class. And 66% of teens say they use social media on their phones after 9 p.m., while only 38% of parents say their children use it after 9 pm. Teens also report more negative emotions and experiences with social media than their parents report.

What did your team learn about parents' and teens' attitudes toward cell phone bans at school?

They are open to restrictions and guidance. About 40% of parents and almost the same percentage of teens favored a ban on phone use during class. That is different than a bell-to-bell ban. Only 10% of teens thought a full-day ban was a good idea. By comparison, 40% of parents were in favor of bell-to-bell ban. While they may not share the same boundaries, they also don't think cell phones should be a free-for-all at school.

How do schools get teens and parents to buy into the new bell-to-bell ban that goes into effect in the fall?

Bring teens and parents into the conversation about school policy. They already have been negotiating the boundaries of the phone at home and should take a role in this phase where the schools have now taken a bigger position.

If you tell students, you are taking away something they are used to, you may want to point to where teens and parents both want to see improvements. We also see where parents are unaware how much their children are using their phones in school and at night. Closing that awareness gap can improve the quality of these conversations.

How will we know if the bell-to-bell ban is successful?

We don't really know about the compliance end of this yet, but I think it will have the potential to change the culture at school. Teens will know their phone won't be nearby and available and that reduces the temptation of leaving the classroom, entering the hallway and looking at the phone. It could decouple their social life and the phone.

What we have now is a benchmark of adolescent use and their emotional, academic and physical health right before the bell-to-bell ban goes into effect. If we do additional research, we will have a comparison. There is something very valuable there. We can see if this ban is improving the social and emotional health and academic performance of teens.

Could there be unexpected results of the ban?

Changes in one part of the day could affect use at other times of the day too. Assuming your kids are following the ban, now they have been away from their phone for many hours. What will the next part of the day look like in terms of their phone use? We don't want to make late night the time to use their phone.

Or, maybe this ban at school will reduce some of their connections to the phone, period. Maybe it will be easier for them to be without it if they are more accustomed to being without it.