More than 8 in 10 New Jersey residents support school cellphone ban, Rutgers poll finds
NEW JERSEY — More than 8 in 10 New Jersey residents support the state’s ban on non-academic cellphone use in public schools throughout the school day, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Monday.
The statewide ban, which applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, took effect for the 2026-27 school year.
According to the poll, 83% of New Jersey adults support the policy, including 59% who strongly support it and 24% who somewhat support it.
Meanwhile, 9% somewhat oppose the ban, 4% strongly oppose it and 4% remain uncertain.
The findings show supporters outnumber opponents by more than 6-to-1.
“There is very little in New Jersey politics that more than 8 in 10 residents agree on, and even less that Democrats and Republicans agree on this closely,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Support for the state’s school cellphone ban is not just broad, it is lopsided, and it holds in every single group we measured.”
Support for the policy crosses political party lines, with 87% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats and 79% of independents expressing support.
The differences fall within the poll’s margin of error, indicating no statistically significant difference among political groups.
The poll also found that at least 70% of residents in every demographic group surveyed support the requirement, while opposition remains below 25% across all groups.
Support varies somewhat by household income.
Among residents earning less than $50,000 annually, 72% support the ban. That compares with 84% of those earning between $50,000 and $99,999, 89% of those earning between $100,000 and $149,999, and 86% of those earning $150,000 or more.
Education levels also showed differences, with support ranging from 79% among residents with a high school education or less to 88% among those with graduate-level education.
Among racial groups, 85% of white residents support the ban, compared with 74% of Black residents.
Regionally, support ranges from 80% in suburban communities to 90% in exurban areas.
The largest differences were found among age groups.
Residents 65 and older showed the strongest support, with 94% backing the policy, including 77% who strongly support it.
Support drops to 85% among residents ages 50 to 64, 81% among those ages 35 to 49 and 72% among adults ages 18 to 34.
Among the youngest adults surveyed, 39% strongly support the ban, compared with 77% of those 65 and older.
“The one stark divide here is generational,” said Koning. “Older residents back this almost unanimously. The youngest adults who are the closest to having lived it, however, are the most hesitant, and even they support it by 3-to-1. This is a policy whose least enthusiastic constituency is still nevertheless in favor.”
The poll also found little difference between households with children and those without.
Eighty percent of parents or guardians of children younger than 18 support the cellphone restriction, compared with 84% of adults who are not parents or guardians of minors.
Among parents, 55% strongly support the policy, compared with 60% of non-parents. Both differences fall within the poll’s margin of error.
The number of children in a household also had little impact on support, which ranged from 78% to 85% among households with no children, one child or two or more children.
The Rutgers-Eagleton Poll surveyed 1,004 New Jersey adults from Sept. 24-27 through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points for the full sample.
