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SALT LAKE CITY — A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday approved two proposals sponsored by Sen. Mitt Romney that call for a study of the impact of smartphone use on academic achievement.
The Utah Republican and member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee proposed a pair of amendments to the Advancing Research in Education Act that would ask the National Center for Education Statistics to collect data on state and local policies on student smartphone use. Another amendment directs the National Center for Education Research to study the impacts of smartphone use during school hours.
"The negative impacts of social media on the well-being of our children are becoming more and more evident. Nearly 60% of students self-reported that they are using their phones for non-education purposes during class instruction — commonly for testing and checking social media," Romney stated. "Curbing the non-educational use of smartphones in the classroom may not only help raise students' GPAs and increase their focus but also help improve the mental health of our students."
The Advancing Research in Education Act is sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, serving as co-sponsor. The bill reauthorizes the Education Sciences Reform Act, which passed as a companion to the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act.
The Education Sciences Reform Act created the Institute for Education Sciences, an independent research agency within the U.S. Education Department, according to Education Week.
Both of Romney's amendments were approved unanimously by the committee, and the Advancing Research in Education Act was recommended by a vote of 20-1.
The senator said it is "imperative that policymakers have access to evidence-based information before implementing changes to help our students improve their health and academics."
The proposals come amid increased scrutiny on the potential harms social media use can have on children and teens. Earlier this year, Utah passed regulations on social media companies that require platforms to get parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts and force companies to provide added parental controls and oversight.
The state has also filed lawsuits against the parent companies of TikTok, Instagram and Facebook alleging that the platforms have knowingly developed features that are addictive to children.
One Utah lawmaker has proposed banning cellphones from public school classrooms, though the bill was rejected by a Utah House committee earlier this year.
A report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization this summer called on educators to use smartphones and other technology in class only "when it supports learning outcomes."
"The short- and long-term costs of using digital technology appear to be significantly underestimated," the report states. "The most disadvantaged are typically denied the opportunity to benefit."
