Back-to-school: Mental health experts urge parents to set cell phone boundaries with kids

With students heading back to school, local mental health experts say it's a good time for parents to talk to their children about cell phone use.

In May, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a bill restricting cell phone use in schools. The Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act requires school systems to adopt policies that take effect in the 2027-28 school year.

Many local school districts already have cell phone policies in place that restrict their use.

Behavioral health experts say reducing cell phone use can sometimes cause anxiety in children, so parents should talk with their children about school cell phone rules, boundaries and expectations.

"I think talking through what that's going to look like as we move toward the changes in school districts around cell phone usage," said Adam Miller of the Klein Family Center. "I know one of the big things that comes up in working with families is, well, I want my child to have access to the phone in case there's an emergency."

Miller added, "Be informed, take a look at that information, start talking to your kids, start talking to the rest of your family, start talking to the school."

Experts also recommend that parents establish cell phone-free periods for their children at home.

They say parents should lead by example by putting down their own cell phones.

Cell phone restrictions in Maryland school districts

Several school districts in Maryland have already taken steps to prevent students from using cell phones in schools.

Howard County's policy requires all cell phones and other personal tech devices to be out of sight and silenced during the school day. 

After the first offence, a device is confiscated until the end of the school day. If a student is caught with a device at any time after, it will be confiscated until their parent or guardian can pick it up. 

Baltimore City schools approved a cell phone policy that limits the use of tablets, laptops, wireless headphones, and smartwatches. All those devices must be turned off and put away during the school day. 

Harford County schools have a policy that says elementary school students are required to deactivate and store all personal devices in their backpacks. Middle school students are required to leave devices in their lockers, and high school students must deactivate phones during class time.