The sound of gunshots echoes louder than a notification chime, yet only one is being silenced. Are cell phones more dangerous than guns, or is that just what the Texas state government seems to believe? 

Since 2008, there have been at least 63 school shootings in Texas. In the past 17 years, countless children and staff members have been injured or killed in educational buildings they once believed were safe. 

Yet beginning August 4, 2025, as a result of House Bill 1481, Texas schools will officially ban student cell phone use during the school day. However, it's not to protect against violence, but to reduce “distractions.” Texas has become the first state in the U.S. to mandate a statewide ban on student cell phone use in all public and charter schools, a bold move that speaks volumes about the state’s priorities. As of July 1, 32 states have passed new laws limiting or banning the use of phones in schools. 

Supporters of the ban argue that phones disrupt classroom focus, fuel cyberbullying, and damage student mental health. However, while reducing screen time may be a worthy goal, this legislation misses the mark entirely. In a state with a long history of school shootings, students aren’t primarily worried about notifications. They’re worried about whether they’ll make it home alive.

On social media, many students have shared concerns that if they are shot during a school shooting, they won’t even be able to send goodbye messages to their parents. The fact that this has to be a concern is heartbreaking. Parents themselves have expressed fear and frustration over the new law. In a state where school shootings are more likely to occur, fears about the children's safety have consumed everyone. 

Consider the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers lost their lives in May 2022. Amid the chaos, traumatized students did what they could to survive. One 10-year-old girl, hiding under a desk, quietly called 911 to alert authorities while covering herself in a friend’s blood to avoid detection. Though many victims were too young to carry phones regularly, this heartbreaking moment shows how necessary communication can be during a crisis.

Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute, has repeatedly highlighted how essential communication tools are for students during violent incidents. Her research explains that measures designed to enhance safety, such as lockdown drills, can help students feel more secure. Removing access to phones before addressing the root causes of violence overlooks the very real dangers students live with every day. 

Every year, gun violence shatters classrooms and tears families apart, yet lawmakers have done little to address this deadly crisis. Banning phones might reduce distractions, but it does nothing to stop bullets or prevent tragedies. Taking away access to communication does not protect students from the very real threat they face every day.

If lawmakers truly want to keep students safe, they need to tackle the root of the problem: easy access to firearms and a lack of mental health resources. The increase in gun violence across schools demands serious action. Instead of targeting phones, officials should focus on keeping guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm children. Students deserve protection, not punishment, and it is past time for leaders to act accordingly. Real safety comes from action on guns, not silence on phones.