A Texas educator has sparked a debate over whether adults should think about the example they’re setting when it comes to their phones.
Under a law that took effect in 2025, Texas public school districts and charter schools are required to prohibit students from using personal communication devices during the school day. Districts get to decide how to enforce the rule, including whether students must keep their phones secured. The law does not prohibit phone use by teachers.
The goal is straightforward: Keep students off their phones so they can focus on their studies.
But the new rule has also raised a question that isn’t answered by the law: What should students learn from the adults who are asking them to put their phones away?
That was the question Erica Young, a Texas educator, posed in a TikTok that quickly drew thousands of responses.
“They’re watching us,” Young tells TODAY.com?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube. “Do as I say, not as I do” is not a lesson she wants students to take away from the classroom, she says. See more at the link in bio. ?: Teacher Safe Space / TikTok