Bucks County – December 3, 2025 – State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) is hosting a webinar to discuss the impact of cell phones in schools. The event will continue Tuesday, December 9vol at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Senator Santarsiero will be joined by Kirstin McGowan, a local parent and spokesperson for Wait Until 8, during the webinarvol and PA Unplugged, Christie Besack, psychology teacher at Central Bucks West High School, and Dr. Mitch Prinstein, ABPP. Dr. Prinstein serves as Chief of Psychology at the American Psychological Association and is the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as Co-Director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development.
Every year, more and more research shows that constant smartphone operate harms children academically, socially and emotionally. Teenagers now spend almost eight hours a day on their phones, the equivalent of a full-time job, and receive an average of 237 notifications a day. This uninterrupted connection is associated with sedate mental health problems in early adulthood, including anxiety, aggression, emotional instability, and suicidal thoughts.
“We can no longer ignore the impact that phones have on students and our schools. That’s why I introduced SB 1014 with Senators Vincent Hughes (D-7) and Devlin Robinson (R-37),” said Senator Santarsiero. “The bill would establish a bell-to-bell policy prohibiting students from using cell phones and other nonacademic sharp devices during the school day, with certain exceptions. Each district would develop its own implementation plan after public comments and community feedback. We want to make sure we protect our students while maintaining local control over the implementation of this law.
Many states have already introduced laws aimed at preventing the operate of cell phones in schools and are noticing that children are focusing more on learning, developing meaningful relationships with peers and improving mental health during childhood.
The the event is free and open to everyone community members.
Interested participants can respond here and submit your questions in advance. The link to join the webinar will be sent the day before the event, which will take place on December 8vol.
###
The post Sen. Steve Santarsiero Hosting Webinar to Discuss Cell Phone-Free Schools appeared first on Pennsylvania Senate Democrats.
