Here are five sets of facts about cellphones and schools and cellphones and the rest of us.

The Oregon Legislature has taken a hearty step toward essentially banning cellphones in schools from bell to bell. House Bill 2251, which passed the House and now moves to the Senate, would prohibit their use by students from the start of regular instructional hours until the end of those hours. That includes time between classes. Schools could decide how to implement it. For instance, a district could direct that they be packed up and away – similar to what Bend-La Pine Schools already requires.

The Bulletin’s Editorial Board thinks this bill is a good idea. Gov. Tina Kotek said Tuesday in a meeting with reporters that she would like to sign it.

Nine states had already started a policy like this by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, with more lining up taking similar action, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Cellphones have done wonders for communication and putting information at fingertips.
They can be terribly distracting and may even make our attention spans shorter. They help imbrute the world, making it fiercer and noisier.

The best message your cellphone could give you might be: Put me away for a while.