Supporters have argued the devices in school distract students and encourage heavy use of social media, contributing to a growing mental health crisis among the nation’s youth.

It might be too late for parents to dream about a screen-free summer for their kids, but the Massachusetts Senate is moving closer to banning them in classrooms statewide. Senate lawmakers on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education voted 6-0 to advance legislation tackling what backers described as "one of the most distracting devices ever created.