The Los Angeles school district, the second largest in the United States, has enacted a ban on smartphone use in schools, joining a growing national movement to manage children’s increasing dependency on their devices. This decision highlights the ongoing struggle educators face in balancing the need for attention in classrooms with the practicality of having smartphones for emergencies.
Nancy Streit, a middle-school teacher in Los Angeles, underscores this dilemma. “It’s mostly the parents calling,” she notes, explaining that while she prohibits phone use during class, students often find ways around the rule. This sentiment is echoed by Raphaela Hodges, a sixth-grade teacher in Los Angeles, who has observed a concerning shift in children’s social behaviors, noting that “when they’re uncomfortable, they pick up the phone.”
The trend of restricting smartphone use in schools is gaining traction across the country. New York and California, two of the most populous states, are considering new statewide policies. Earlier this week, California Governor Gavin Newsom called for a classroom smartphone ban and announced plans to collaborate with legislators on this issue. Similarly, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has advocated for a comparable law. Indiana has already passed a classroom ban, set to take effect in the autumn.
These moves come amidst rising concerns about youth mental health, exacerbated by the pandemic. Data from the US Department of Education reveals that approximately 76% of schools already restrict non-academic phone use. However, the new wave of regulations aims to enforce stricter controls.
Florida implemented a law last year mandating school districts to prohibit phones in classrooms and block social media access on school Wi-Fi. The law also requires education on the social, emotional, and physical impacts of social media. Other states, including Maine and Virginia, and Canadian provinces like Ontario and Alberta, are also strengthening their phone use policies.
The debate over phones in schools has been contentious for decades. Initial concerns about distraction and association with illicit activities were partially alleviated by the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, which underscored the importance of phones for emergency communication. As a result, many states, including California, relaxed their bans. However, the rise of smartphones brought new challenges, such as cyberbullying and cheating, prompting renewed calls for regulation.
New York City, with over one million students, enforced a strict phone ban that was reversed in 2015, allowing individual schools to set their own policies. This flexibility highlights the complexities schools face in managing phone use.
The current push for stricter policies is driven by concerns over student mental health and the impact of social media. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently suggested that social media platforms should carry warning labels similar to those on cigarette boxes. He pointed out that social media use increases the risk of anxiety and depression among children, although research on this topic remains mixed. A 2019 study found that adolescents spending more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health issues.
Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, emphasizes that successful implementation of these policies requires strong community support and consistent enforcement. “There’s a lot more to it than the average parent or other person looking from afar would think. It’s a wicked problem with a lot of complexities,” he said.
In Los Angeles, the school board voted on Tuesday to enforce the smartphone ban starting next year. However, the specifics of its implementation remain unclear. Alyssa, an 18-year-old student from Los Angeles, expressed skepticism about the policy’s effectiveness in large schools. “We have huge campuses – no one can monitor all that,” she said. “There are tons of areas where you can go and not be seen.”
As the debate continues, schools nationwide grapple with finding a balance between ensuring safety and mitigating the distractions posed by smartphones.
