Tarrant County Public Health Director W. Brian Byrd is recommending that the county’s school districts remove smartphones from classrooms.
When he was growing up in Fort Worth, doctors focused on protecting children from outbreaks of chickenpox and the flu, but now in these digitized times, the focus more often turns to a child’s mental and emotional health, Byrd said in a Thursday letter to Tarrant County parents, teachers and residents.
The more time children spend on social media, the more their mental health suffers, he wrote, pointing to an article by social psychologist and author Jon Haidt and a study looking at the correlation between social media and the risk of depression in adolescents.
“While originally designed to facilitate connection, social media has often had the opposite effect,” the letter reads. “Not only that, we’ve all seen and heard about children experiencing disruption in their sleep and a drop in their grades.
That’s why I am joining with other leaders in recommending that every school district in Tarrant County remove smartphones from classrooms. The research here is encouraging. Limiting smartphone use at school significantly improves students’ mental well-being. ”
The Star-Telegram has reached out to the county for Byrd’s comment.
Several Tarrant County school districts have already banned using cell phones during class , including Keller, Grapevine-Colleyville and Northwest.
In the Thursday letter, Byrd acknowledges and applauds districts that are already restricting phone use in classrooms. He also recognizes the Texas Legislature for passing a 2023 bill related to minors’ online activity . Part of the bill requires that a joint legislative committee studies the effects of media on minors.
But more must be done, Byrd urges.
He recommends that parents keep their children off social media until they’re at least 16.
Byrd also says families should make sure their children know that they are safe place to go if they find themselves in trouble because of online activity.
“Finally, as adults, we have a responsibility to model healthy social media habits that our children can look up to,” he said, urging parent’s to participate in No Social Media November. “By setting an example, we can guide them toward more responsible use of these platforms.”
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a June opinion article published in The New York Times that “schools should ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences.” In the same op-ed, he called for a surgeon’s general warning label on social media sites “stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.”
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has said lawmakers should prohibit cell phone use in Texas public schools.
“If it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state,” Morath told senators during a Sept. 18 education committee hearing, according to The Texas Tribune. “So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy going forward for our students and our teachers.”
The Star-Telegram has reached out to the Fort Worth and Arlington school districts— two of the districts in Tarrant County with the most students— for comment on the letter. A representative with the Arlington school district was not available to comment on Friday, and a representative with the Fort Worth district said a response was in the works.
The Fort Worth school district’s code of conduct prohibits using, displaying or having “in operational mode” cell phones “at school or school-sponsored or school-related activities, including using a cellular telephone to film other students and/or District employees.”
Generally, the Arlington school district prohibits the use of cell phones during the school day, according to its code of conduct. Students can have their phones, but they must be out of sight and off.
That said, students can use cell phones and other “personally-owned mobile technology devices” such as laptops, tablets, for educational purposes, with teacher permission, the code of conduct states. The use of student’s personal technology devises “for personal purposes will be determined by campus leadership.”
Staff Writer Silas Allen contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 
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