Students at Northeast Middle School in Kansas City used to run into one another “just like bumper cars” as they navigated the halls with eyes fixed on their cellphone screens, said school librarian Paula York.
That changed after a 2025 Missouri law banned students’ personal electronic devices such as cellphones during the entire school day, York said.
“They’re actually looking at people and not running into people. Their focus is much better in school. Their attention span is much better, and they’re learning that … they have to have manners, because they can’t hide behind a screen,” she said.
