** Across the U.S., cellphones in classrooms are becoming a thing of the past—or at least tightly controlled. Half of all states have now passed laws either banning or restricting their use in schools, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.

What This Mean: ** This isn’t just about keeping kids off TikTok during math class. The push reflects growing concerns over distractions, mental health, and even safety in schools. But it also raises questions: Will bans actually help students focus, or just spark more creative workarounds? And how do parents and teachers feel about losing a direct line to kids during the day? The debate’s far from over, but one thing’s clear—phones in school aren’t the free-for-all they used to be.