Los Angeles School Board approves cellphone ban as Gov Newsom calls for statewide action

The Los Angeles school board set in motion a plan to ban cellphones all day on campus, saying the devices distract students from learning, lead to anxiety, and allow cyberbullying. The ban would take effect in January 2025 after details are approved in a future meeting by the Board of Education, with the goal of enforcing it across a student’s entire time at school, including lunch and other breaks. The board action adds momentum to growing campaigns in California to restrict or eliminate cellphone use at schools amid reports about how the devices, coupled with the use of social media, coincide with skyrocketing anxiety and other harms to children. State leaders are moving in the same direction as L.A. Unified. California Assembly Bill 3216, introduced in February 2024, would require school districts to adopt a policy to limit or prohibit student use of smartphones while at school or under the supervision of a school employee. The law would go into effect July 1, 2026. The measure has the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).