LOS ANGELES — On the same day California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he wants to restrict students’ cell phone usage, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board voted in favor of banning phones and social media during the school day.
Newsom’s declaration came Tuesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms regarding their effects on young people, AP News reports. Newsom said he plans to build on a law he signed in 2019 that authorized school districts to limit or ban the use of smartphones by students while at school or under the supervision of a school employee.
“As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth,” Newson wrote in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies — not their screens.”
While Newsom’s office did not provide further details on the proposal, the California School Boards Association said any regulations over student cell phone usage should be left up to individual school districts.
“We support legislation which empowers school leaders to make policy decisions at a local level that reflect their community’s concerns and what’s necessary to support their students,” said spokesperson Troy Flint.
LAUSD School Board Votes to Ban Cell Phones
As part of LAUSD’s policy, which will go into effect as early as January 2025, schools will be able to decide how to implement the phone ban, such as requiring that phones be placed in a locker or pouch during the day, according to ABC 7. The resolution directs staff to develop and present policies and plans to the public before the board approves them within 120 days.
“No matter what we bring to the board in the next four months, it will come with an awareness campaign for all stakeholders including students, but advances also the critical element of pursuing litigation against social media giants for their careless, irresponsible, and immoral actions that have put kids across the country in the position they’re in today,” said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
Two board members voted against the motion, citing how difficult it would be for teachers and staff to enforce the ban. LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the country behind New York City Public Schools. Some parents have also criticized the decision, nothing they want to be able to communicate with their children during school hours. Those who support the ban think it could improve learning and decrease bullying.
Nick Melvoin, an LAUSD school board member who spearheaded the ban, said LAUSD’s 2011 policy restricts cell phones but is not fully enforced. He also said some schools that have already enacted similar bans have seen significant benefits.
“When I talk to teachers and students and parents… I also hear the same, which is that more and more time is being spent on policing student phone use. There’s not a coherent enforcement and they’re looking for some support from the board and from the district,” he said. “The schools that have gone farther and that have already implemented a phone-free school day report incredible results. Kids are happier, they’re talking to one another, and their academics are up.”
New York Governor Pushes for Social Media Restrictions for Children
In a similar fashion, New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed a bill against addictive social media feeds she says are targeting children and teens.
“They’re not living carefree lives because they are being held captive to powerful forces outside their own control — algorithms that are intentionally addictive, intended to pull them in and keep their attention,” Hochul told CBS News.
The “Safe for Kids Act” requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds for users under the age of 19. Hochul said the measure targets algorithms in particular because “in order to liberate our children, we have to get right to the source of the trauma that’s being inflicted on them.” It would also ban notifications from social media platforms related to the feeds between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent. Additionally, it would require advanced verification and parental consent tools.
The new law is set to take effect 180 days after New York Attorney General Letitia James finalizes its rules and guidelines. Social media platforms that are out of compliance can then be fined up to $5,000 per violation.
