More than 429,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school district will be banned from using cellphones or social media platforms during class time after the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Trustees passed the ban on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted 5-2 to establish a policy within 120 days banning the use of cellphones and social media platforms during school hours. The policy will be implemented district-wide and will take effect by January, according to the board.
“I think we’re going to be leading the way here, and our students, our city and the country as a whole will benefit as a result,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution.
The move is an attempt by educators to curb classroom distractions and protect students’ mental health. K-12 teachers in the U.S. are facing increasing challenges over students’ cell phone use, with one-third of teachers saying cell phone distraction is a “major problem in the classroom,” according to a fall 2023 Pew Research Center survey.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday voiced his support for efforts to limit cellphone use in the state’s schools. In 2019, Newsom signed a bill that allows, but does not require, school districts to limit or ban smartphone use in schools.
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The governor echoed comments made by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Mursi in a New York Times opinion piece published Monday in which Mursi called for safety warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those placed on tobacco and alcohol products, citing a youth mental health “emergency.”
“As the Surgeon General has affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of young people,” Governor Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. “I look forward to working with the Legislature to build on the law I signed in 2019 and limit smartphone use during school hours. While children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies, not on screens.”
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“A full-time job as a phone police officer.”
Los Angeles’ ban expands on an existing policy that prohibits “the use of cell phones, pagers, or other electronic signaling devices by students on campus during regular school hours or school activities, except during lunch and nutrition breaks.” The current policy was adopted in 2011.
The Los Angeles Unified School District board said in its updated policy that school officials should consider options such as keeping cellphones in locked pouches or lockers during school hours. They also should consider appropriate guidelines for different ages and grade levels, and what exceptions they should make for students with learning or physical disabilities.
The ban has drawn mixed reactions from school administrators, parents and students, who have expressed concerns about student agency, safety, communication and widespread enforcement of the policy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Board member George McKenna voted against the resolution, citing concerns that the policy was too restrictive. Board member Scott Schmerelson also voted against the resolution, saying it was unclear whether the ban would be enforced outside of school hours and he questioned who would enforce the policy.
“I think being the call police is going to be a full-time job,” Schmerelson said.
According to the Times, supporters of the ban said similar policies have been adopted at middle schools in the district and have improved the learning environment there.
“Studies have shown that limiting cell phone use and access to social media during the school day improves academic performance and has a positive impact on students’ mental health,” board members who support the ban wrote in the agenda, adding that studies have also shown a correlation between cell phone addiction and increased rates of anxiety and cyberbullying.
Other states ban cell phones in schools
Parents and educators across the country are increasingly concerned about the impact of cell phones on young people, including distractions in the classroom and potential mental health issues. As of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 76% of K-12 public schools have banned cell phone use for non-academic purposes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
But in recent years, lawmakers have considered bills to restrict smartphone use in schools. Last year, Florida became the first state to ban students from using cellphones in class and block students from accessing social media on school Wi-Fi.
In March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill banning students from using phones and other wireless devices in the classroom, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a similar bill in May requiring school districts to institute policies regulating cellphone use during school hours.
As of June, lawmakers in at least eight states were considering passing similar bills, USA Today previously reported.
Contributing authors: Sarah Chernikoff, Kinzie Crowley, USA TODAY, Reuters
