Arkansas has implemented a pilot “phone-free program” in all school districts throughout the state.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Georgia, is the champion of this program. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is currently implementing the program in 112 school districts across the state.

According to the Governor, this initiative was taken to improve mental health of students and to reduce screen addiction.

Sanders, who was inspired by Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation” and wrote about it in an X message on December 9, said that more states should follow her lead.

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The $7 million state funding allows participating schools to purchase pouches and lock mechanisms to secure students’ phones. It also provides grants for mental health programs.

In Arkansas, some school districts began the program in middle schools because these students are typically the age when they receive their first mobile device and start to develop certain habits regarding cellphone usage.

Jacob Oliva, the Arkansas Secretary of Education, encouraged superintendents to participate in the pilot program earlier this year. He cited a correlation between cell phone use and academic performance as well as mental health problems.

Oliva stated that the average American teenager spends five hours per day on social media. This is often done during school hours.

In a letter from July, Oliva stated that “Spending more than three hours per day on social media increases the risk of mental illness in children.”

Since smartphones have become more common, suicide rates among teens have tripled, self-harm has increased by nearly 200% among girls, and depression has risen by 150 percent among teenagers. Since 2012, teen math, reading and science scores in the United States have decreased, while school alienation is on the rise.

The state legislators recognized that restricting or prohibiting the use of cellphones by students can be complex because they are often necessary for research and learning.

The lawmakers have also admitted that it would take a full year of schooling or longer to accurately compare and compile any changes in test results. It may be more difficult to assess the impact on mental health.

Families worry that removing cellphones from their children will cut off communication between them and their children.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 77 percent of U.S. public schools say that they do not allow cellphones in school for any non-academic purpose.

Restrictions vary from one school district to the next. Some districts allow students to use their phone during lunch or between classes.

Los Angeles Unified became the first school district to ban the use of cellphones during school hours. The ban will take effect in 2025.

Florida will be the first state to ban cell phone use in schools in 2023.