Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks at the Road to Majority Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 22. (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Youngkin wrote in the order that children spend an average of nearly 5 hours a day browsing social media and that recent studies suggest adolescents who spend more than three hours per day double their risk of poor mental health.
"Most alarming is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2019-2021, reporting that the rate of suicide has increased 167% since 2010 for girls and 91% since 2010 for boys," as well as a "spike in depression of 161% and 145%, respectively," he added.
Youngkin also said "up to now, public schools have often left these decisions and consequences" surrounding cellphone use "to individual teachers, resulting in a variety of expectations and enforcement, all too often leading to students frequently checking their devices, scrolling through social media, and sending direct messages."
He argued, citing studies, that students who use their cellphones during class "learn less and achieve lower grades."
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Youngkin says "chronic health conditions affecting adolescents, such as depression and anxiety," are "driven in part by extensive social media usage and widespread cell phone possession among children. " (Getty Images)
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"We piloted a cellphone ban last year in some of our high schools and middle schools, and we saw more student engagement in class and fewer distractions throughout the day," Jason Kamras told The Associated Press. "On top of that, students reported spending more time talking with their peers."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.
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