BY SAM VISE | FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — For years, the cell phone has been an extension of the modern teenager, a constant connection to their social worlds, entertainment and the wider internet. However, a new state law is redefining the high school experience in Alabama.
The FOCUS Act (Freeing Our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety), signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 14, prohibits students from using wireless communication devices during the school day, a policy shift aimed at reducing distractions and improving student engagement.
While some parents have expressed concerns about safety and communication, school counselors and educators are observing a surprising and overwhelmingly positive transformation in students’ behavior and mental health.
At Smiths Station High School, clinical therapist and school counselor Jenny Filush-Glaze is on the front lines of this change. She’s seeing a quiet revolution unfold in the hallways, with students trading their digital lifelines for books and face-to-face conversations.
The act’s implementation has been a significant culture shift, affecting everything from classroom dynamics to the school community as a whole.
“[Students] are saying they love it,” Filush-Glaze said. “They are doing better in their classes. They’re making more friends. They are focusing more so their grades are on point.”
Before the FOCUS Act, school cell phone policies were often inconsistent, leading to confusion and frustration for both students and teachers. Filush-Glaze explained that the previous policy allowed phones before and after school, during lunch and in the hallways, but not during instructional time. However, this rule was rarely enforced consistently across the whole school.
Some teachers demanded phones be put away in designated caddies or lockers, while others allowed students to use them once their work was done. This inconsistency, Filush-Glaze believes, contributed to students getting into trouble and failing to understand why a behavior acceptable in one class was forbidden in another.
“It just was an issue,” she said. “Students were getting in trouble, not understanding why they got in trouble in one class but not another class.”
She said she believes the new law has brought on a sense of accountability for students.
“There’s a difference between when you say, ‘This is school policy,’ versus ‘This is a law,’” she said.
This legal backing has reduced the defiance often seen when students believe a policy is merely a suggestion.
The consequences are now a tiered system, escalating from an initial offense to more serious repercussions, including calls home and eventual time in in-school suspension. This clear and consistent enforcement, Filush-Glaze said, makes students “a little bit more hesitant” to try and get around the new rules.
Filush-Glaze, who sees six to eight students daily with severe mental health issues, said she was surprised by the immediate positive results of the new law. In her experience, over 90% of students’ anxiety and stress issues were directly tied to social media or their cell phones. Since the ban, she has seen a clear decrease in both behavioral issues and the high levels of anxiety she once treated.
Filush-Glaze said she has long had a strict “no cell phone” policy in her own office, as she believes they are a major source of distraction and anxiety. She recalled seeing students “freaking out” in sessions because their phones were buzzing with notifications from friends, boyfriends or parents delivering unsettling news.
Now, with phones gone throughout the day, those same students are beginning to cope better and develop healthier habits.
“It’s been amazing to just kind of see these kids walking through this transition, and I’m already seeing a decrease in behavioral issues and those high levels of anxiety,” Filush-Glaze said.
The students themselves, once highly resistant to the new law, are now seeing the benefits. Many are telling her they “actually love it” and are doing better in their classes and making more friends.
The FOCUS Act is also having a ripple effect on student social dynamics. Filush-Glaze said she is actively teaching students how to communicate again, to have “face-to-face conversations instead of rushing home and locking themselves in their room and getting on their cell phones to have conversations.”
The reliance on digital communication has made it difficult for many young teens to engage in real-world interactions. Filush-Glaze said they are often sitting right next to each other texting instead of talking.
To address this, she works with students on their “vibe.” She encourages them to make eye contact, smile and invite people into their space.
She said not just the students, but teachers too are enjoying the results of the new FOCUS act. One teacher told her they had to take up their first note in class, as students are now passing paper notes instead of texting one another.
Another teacher told her “incentive Fridays,” which previously saw students pile up on their phones instead of playing games, are now a huge success. Filush-Glaze said students are now getting into groups, laughing and interacting with each other, making the teachers’ jobs easier and the classroom environment more engaging.
The policy has even had an unexpected impact on school safety.
“It’s a lot harder to arrange a drug deal in the bathroom or in the stairwell if you don’t have access to your cell phone,” Filush-Glaze said.
This reduced ability to coordinate illicit activities through technology is an unintended but welcome consequence of the law.
While some parents worry about being able to reach their children in an emergency, Filush-Glaze assured them the front office remains a reliable point of contact. She argued that personal cell phones were never necessary for a student to call home in case of illness or emergency.
“Back in the day, if we were sick and didn’t feel well, or we needed to call a parent, what did we do? We went to the front office. We called them,” she said.
The transition back to a more traditional, “unplugged” environment isn’t always easy. Filush-Glaze says some students still try to skirt the rules by using small, hidden earbuds to listen to Bluetooth music from a phone hidden in their backpack.
However, the consequences and the consistent enforcement are proving to be a stronger deterrent than past school policies.
Filush-Glaze said the benefits of being unplugged are already outweighing the initial resistance. She said the FOCUS Act is not just a policy about phones — it’s a catalyst for a positive cultural shift, helping students reclaim their focus, improve their mental health and learn to connect with the world around them in a more meaningful way.
