Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is working with the state legislature to restrict students from using smartphones during the school day.
The move comes after Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned about the threat social media poses to kids.
“As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth. 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,” the governor’s office told Nexstar’s Eytan Wallace.
Nexstar Media Group is the parent of KTLA.
In 2019, Newsom signed AB 272 into law which authorized school districts to adopt cell phone bans.
Most recently, the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to ban students from using their cell phones during the school day.
The new rule will take effect in January 2025, though the Los Angeles Times notes the details still need to be “approved in a future meeting by the Board of Education.”
Supporters of the ban say it would lead to less bullying, more meaningful communication among peers and adults and improved learning.
However, some parents, who want their children to have cellphone access for safety and communication reasons, are against the ban, while other school officials say the ban would be difficult to enforce, according to the L.A. Times.
On the statewide level, several proposals, including SB 1283 and AB 3216, are moving forward throughout the legislature and could be signed into law by the governor in the near future.