Los Angeles school district bans use of cellphones, social media by students

Over 429,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school district will be prohibited from using cellphones and social media platforms during the school day after the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed the ban Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education voted 5-2, approving a resolution to develop within 120 days a policy that bans student use of cellphones and social media platforms during the entire school day. The policy, which will be implemented district-wide, will go into effect by January 2025, according to the board.

"I think we're going to be on the vanguard here, and students and this entire city and country are going to 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. have increasingly faced challenges over students' cellphone use with one-third saying phone distraction is a "major problem in their classroom," according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in fall 2023.

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support for efforts to restrict cellphone use in schools across the state. Newsom previously signed legislation in 2019 that allowed, but not required, districts to limit or ban smartphone use at schools.

The governor echoed U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's remarks published Monday in a New York Times opinion essay. Murthy called for safety warning labels — similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products — on social media platforms, citing what he considers a mental health "emergency" among young people.

"As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth," Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. "Building on legislation I signed in 2019, 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."

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'Full-time job being the police of the phone'

The Los Angeles ban will expand on its existing policy that prohibits "the use of cellular phones, pagers, or any electronic signaling device by students on campus during normal school hours or school activities, excluding the students’ lunchtime or nutrition breaks." The current policy was adopted in 2011.

For the updated policy, the Los Angeles Unified School District board said school officials will have to consider options for cellphone storage, such as locked pouches or lockers during school hours. Officials will also need to consider age and grade-level appropriate guidelines, along with what exceptions should be made for students with learning or physical disabilities.

The ban has received mixed reactions from school administrators, parents, and students who have noted concerns over student ownership, safety, and communication, and enforcing the policy on a wide scale, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Board member George McKenna voted against the resolution and cited concerns that the policy would be too restrictive. Board member Scott Schmerelson also voted against the resolution saying it was unclear whether the ban would be implemented during non-instructional time and questioned who would enforce the policy.

"I think it's going to be a full-time job being the police of the phone," Schmerelson said.

Supporters of the ban said a similar policy at a district middle school has improved the campus' learning environment, according to The Times.

Board members supporting the ban wrote in their agenda that research "indicates that limiting cell phone usage and social media access during the school day increases academic performance and has positive effects on student mental health." They added that research has shown a correlation between cellphone addiction and increased rates of anxiety and cyberbullying.

School cellphone bans in other states, schools

Parents and educators across the country have expressed growing concern over the impact of cellphones on young people, including classroom distractions and potential mental health issues. As of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 76% of K-12 public schools prohibit cellphone use in non-academic settings, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

But in recent years, lawmakers have considered legislation restricting smartphone use in schools. Last year, Florida became the first state to prohibit student phone use during class time and to block student access to social media on school Wi-Fi.

In March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill prohibiting students from using phones and other wireless devices in classrooms. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a similar bill in May that requires school districts to establish a policy governing cellphone usage during school hours.

As of June, lawmakers in at least eight states have considered passing similar legislation, USA TODAY previously reported.

Contributing: Sara Chernikoff and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY; Reuters