I am writing today as a mother of four who lives here in Palm Beach. I am the co-chair of MAMA (Mothers Against Media Addiction) Palm Beach County, and I would like to discuss the importance of making all schools in our county and state, phone-free for the full school day (bell-to-bell).
Florida has the opportunity to lead the nation in preparing students not just for the digital future — but for real life. Supporting a phone-free school day, as proposed in HB 949, isn’t about rejecting technology. It’s about protecting our children’s focus, creativity, and emotional health from devices that too often distract and harm during the school day.
There’s a major difference between equipping kids to succeed in a tech-driven world and allowing them to be consumed by it. Right now, most school phones aren’t being used for coding, research, or innovation. They’re being used to scroll social media, stream inappropriate videos, play video games, and take secret photos of classmates…