In 2025, Georgia lawmakers passed the Distraction-Free Education Act – which prohibits the use of personal electronic devices during the school day for grades K-8 in efforts to “promote a positive learning environment free from electronic distractions. Wednesday, members of the Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee will hold their fourth meeting and will ask members to voluntarily go without their phones for the duration of the meeting “out of respect for these students.”
When the law was passed, lawmakers relied on studies that have shown the presence of a cellphone reduces available cognitive capacity, and that smartphone bans result in a reduction of bullying by 43-46 percent.
During the meeting, Senators will evaluate the impact of phone-free schools and school AI policy and will look at the use of technology in K-12 Schools. The committee is co-chaired by Sen. Sally Harrell, D–Atlanta, and Sen. Shawn Still, R–Suwanee.
The bipartisan Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee was created through Senate Resolution 431 and has been tasked with evaluating online platforms’ impact on children. This includes social media, gaming, and AI.
This is the fourth meeting of the subcommittee – which will also make formal recommendations for state action at its final meeting. According to the co-chairs, the study committee will partner with parents, policy experts, representatives from state agencies and private organizations to determine how online protections may be improved and strengthened to ensure safer online experiences.
The study committee’s first three meetings examined how online platforms can be addictive and harmful to young people, as well as specific state policies that can result in safer online experiences. Senators also further examined the potential dangers related to the use of AI-driven chatbots in online platforms by minors.
The State Department of Education has created and published a guidance to support the Distraction-Free Education Act.
