Congressman Deluzio Releases Report Detailing Ongoing Push for Better School Smartphone Policies

CARNEGIE, PA - Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released a new reportlaying out his findings after more than three months of research and stakeholder engagement on the issue of smartphones in schools. The Congressman's report includes a summary of and detailed information about the smartphone policies of schools in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District; commentary from educators, parents, and students; the results and analysis of a public survey; and legislative findings from across the nation. The report also includes a list of the current smartphone use policies in place in dozens of Western Pennsylvania schools.

"I'm a dad of four. Like a lot of parents, I see the clear evidence: Big Tech, social media, and smartphones are hurting kids. From doing worse in school, to mental and physical health, to social relationships, and more-our kids are getting pummeled by devices and apps that are designed to be addictive. A lot of parents know this in their gut and are looking for something to change," writes Congressman Deluzio in the report's opening letter. "Over the past three months, I've been digging into this issue to learn more about the risks of this technology and the solutions out there to protect our kids and set them up to succeed at school and beyond. Now, I'm glad to share my findings in this report."

Congressman Deluzio is a leading voice on the issue of kids and smartphone and social media addiction. Earlier this summer, he sent letters to 59 schoolsin Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District asking if they will have a classroom smartphone ban in place for the coming school year. In August, he convened a bipartisan roundtable conversationwith PA State Senator Devlin Robinson (SD-37) and Western PA educators, a student, and a parent to discuss the impact of smartphones in classrooms and how we can best protect our kids from addictive and distracting technology in school. He also launched a public surveyasking Western Pennsylvanians if they think schools should ban smartphones in K-12 classrooms. More than 700 people have responded to the survey so far, with 76% saying they support classroom smartphone bans.

Congressman Deluzio will be sharing his report with constituents, parents, school boards, state education officials, and other stakeholders at every level of government. Their feedback will be important as he considers what federal or state legislation could look like and what existing bills on this topic he will support.

"This report is just one more step in my ongoing work to protect our kids and set them up for a great future. Our kids need us right now-we've got to take bold, evidence-based action," added Congressman Deluzio.

The full report can be downloaded here.

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