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 be on Tuesday, December 9th at 7pm on Zoom.
Senator Santarsiero will be joined during the webinar by Kirstin McGowan, a local parent and advocate with Wait Until 8th and PA Unplugged, Christie Besack, a psychology teacher at Central Bucks West High School and Mitch Prinstein, Ph.D., ABPP. Dr. Prinstein serves as Chief of Psychology at the American Psychological Association, and as the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Co-Director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development.
Each year, more studies show that constant smartphone use is harming kids academically, socially, and emotionally. Teens now spend nearly eight hours a day on their phones, equivalent to a full-time job, and receive an average of 237 notifications daily. This nonstop connectivity is linked to serious mental health challenges in early adulthood, including anxiety, aggression, emotional instability, and suicidal thoughts.
“We can no longer ignore the impact phones are having on students and our schools. That’s why I introduced SB 1014 with senators Vincent Hughes (D-7) and Devlin Robinson (R-37),” Senator Santarsiero said. “The bill would establish a bell-to-bell policy prohibiting students from using cell phones and other non-academic smart devices during the school day, with certain exceptions. Each district would craft its own implementation plan after public comment and community input. We want to make sure we’re protecting our students while maintaining local control over how this law would be implemented.”
Many states have already enacted laws to keep schools cell phone-free and they see children focusing more on learning, developing meaningful relationships with their peers and improving childhood mental health.
The event is free and open to all community members.
Interested attendees can RSVP here and submit your questions in advance. The link to join the webinar will be sent out one day prior to the event on December 8th.
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