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News Brief
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 — 10:35 am
Cellphones and social media will be off limits to students in the Los Angeles Unified School District by the second semester of the 2024-25 academic year, the school board voted 5-2 on Tuesday.
The resolution specifically calls on the district to update its cellphone and social media policies within 120 days.
It also cited a 2023 Common Sense Media study that found that 97% of students between the ages of 11 and 17 used their cellphones during school hours. It also notes that cellphone use is harmful to students’ academic performance and exacerbates their mental health.
A CDC report from 2021 also found that 16% of students in American high schools have experienced bullying over either text or social media, the resolution states.
“Students are glued to their cellphones, not unlike adults. They are surreptitiously scrolling during school, during class time. They have their head in their hand walking down the hallways,” said school board member Nick Melvoin, who authored the resolution, during Tuesday’s meeting. “They’re not talking to each other or playing at lunch.”
Schools that have banned cellphones have seen positive results, he added: “Kids are happier, they’re talking to one another, their academics are up.”
Following warnings from the Biden administration about social media’s negative impact on children, Gov. Gavin Newsom also promised on Tuesday that he would limit smartphone use at schools, POLITICO reported.
“Social media is harming the mental health of our youth,” Newsom told POLITICO. “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.”
This story has been updated to include information that was not available at the time of publication.
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