The Phone-Free Schools Movement is a nonprofit organization advocating for bell-to-bell phone-free school environments, allowing students to focus, connect, and build relationships without the constant pull of social media. The group recently released a short public service announcement designed to spark public conversation and build nationwide momentum for restricting cell phone use in schools—an initiative already taking shape in states such as New York, Florida, Texas, and Virginia for the 2025–26 school year.

Filmed in black and white, the PSA adopts an intentionally somber and reflective tone. Directed by Brendan Gibbons and produced by Aaron Rosenbloom and Station Film, it features a cast of real children who each begin with the phrase, “If you give me a smartphone…” and finish it with haunting consequences. Spoken by children aged six to thirteen, their statements reveal the emotional and social costs of early smartphone exposure—anxiety, distraction, addiction, diminished creativity, and self-doubt.

Though centered on phones in schools, the film also delivers a broader indictment of social media’s pervasive and harmful influence on children’s lives.

VIDEO: If You Give Me A Smartphone—PSA

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