Board in LA to deliberate on proposal restricting student cell phone utilization.
The proposed restriction aims to bolster students' wellness and psychological health, as suggested in the LAUSD board meeting schedule.
"Studies show that excessive smartphone usage negatively influences adolescents' mental health and general well-being, causing heightened stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, aggressive feelings, and suicidal thoughts," supporters of the restriction stated.
Moreover, "Research suggests that limiting smartphone usage and social media access during school hours boosts academic performance and benefits student mental health," proponents argued.
Nationwide, 72% of high school educators remarked that smartphone distraction is a significant issue in the classroom, according to last week's report by the Pew Research Center.
California's state government passed a law in 2019 authorizing, but not mandating, school districts to control student smartphone use at school.
A new bill under consideration in California goes a step further. Upon passage, the legislation would compel limiting or prohibiting cell phone usage by students in California's public schools by July 1, 2026, according to the latest version of the bill.
Both Californian measures are mentioned in the LAUSD proposal.
The school board also references Oklahoma, Kansas, Vermont, Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania as states that have presented similar legislation. Board members pointed to Florida as a state that has banned student phone use during classes and blocked social media access on school district Wi-Fi.
The Los Angeles proposal is an upgrade to the current policy, which forbids cell phone use during teaching sessions and restricts social media use at school to educational purposes.
The board aims to gather feedback from students, parents, staff, and experts on effective strategies to implement the ban in all LAUSD schools by the spring semester of the 2024-25 academic year.
The vote is scheduled for a regular LAUSD board meeting on Tuesday. Incidentally, the vote takes place after an op-ed by US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, published in The New York Times on Monday, advocating for warning labels on social media apps due to the known harm they cause to adolescents.
The LAUSD's proposed action references an advisory written by Murthy last year, suggesting a link between social media use and the worsening mental health crisis among teenagers.
CNN’s Richard Davis contributed to this report.
