Abington School District implements a new policy this fall banning the use of cell phones in the classroom, reports Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Abington becomes the latest school district to implement such a policy, following similar announcements out of Los Angeles and New York. The plan is meant to limit distractions at Abington High School and Middle School. Superintendent Jeffrey Fecher also says the move “may benefit the students socially and emotionally.”

Fecher cites the book, The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Heidt which links the rise in anxiety and depression in young people with routine use of cell phones.

Pennsylvania has allocated $100 million in the budget to be used in school districts to purchase special lockable bags to store students’ phones. Fecher said Abington instead plans to use something more resembling a shoe holder. This way students can easily retrieve their phones after class.

Abington school board President, and parent of Gen Z kids, Shameeka Browne said the policy “will help our students to be freed up to just learn.”

Students who need their phones for health reasons or have a special need for accessibility will be exempt from the new rule.

Read more about Abington’s plan to keep phones out of the classroom at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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