Daily Herald opinion: School ban gives us all a chance to consider the impact of constant cellphone use

There was never any doubt that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker would sign legislation passed this year banning cellphone use by elementary and high school students during instruction time. He had called for the legislation himself during his State of the State address.

But his signature on the bill Tuesday nevertheless makes an important statement about the state’s commitment to managing the disruptions that electronic devices often present in a school environment and the consequent impact they have on learning. It may also have implications for non-students.

At a bill signing ceremony at Elgin High School Tuesday, Pritzker succinctly described the point of the new law.

“We want to make sure that every hour of school time can have the greatest possible positive impact,” he said. “We’re allowing every child to fully learn, participate, ask questions and build the skills and interpersonal relationships that they need to thrive.”

Many suburban schools have previously adopted policies banning the devices during instructional time, so for their students and teachers, the cellphone-free environment may not reflect the drama of transition. At others, the law that takes effect mere weeks away for the 2026-27 school year may require some adjustment. In either case, the absence of cellphone distractions will be a welcome opportunity for greater concentration on the demands and expectations of school work.

That said, the comments of one of the bill’s cosponsors in a Chicago Tribune story we published Wednesday on the signing highlight an effect of the law that deserves attention of its own — by children and adults alike.

“I also think this is a very opportune time for all of us to learn from our students,” said Schaumburg Democrat Michelle Mussman. “We should be reflective as adults on how cellphone usage impacts our daily lives — how it impacts our emotional state, our relationships with other people.”

Today’s students and even young adults may be excused for taking for granted the ubiquity of having access to friends, family, information and all kinds of entertainment literally at their fingertips. It has been a feature of society all of their lives. But other adults feel a certain sense of loss in recalling a time when life was not dominated by the impulse to check their pocket for the latest sports scores or comments from social or political leaders or news about the world or texts and calls from friends — not to mention to then share with the world their reactions to all of the above as well as their own personal experiences, from a mundane lunch to an exciting foreign vacation.

The allure of truly immediate gratification is not just a distraction from learning for young students. It is an intrusion into the personal relationships and everyday activities that people of any age “need to thrive.”

So, congratulations to Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly on taking a step toward more productive instruction in our public schools. But let’s also remember that the goals being advanced for students are just as necessary in the everyday lives of us adults as well.