New California Law Calls for Limitations on Cellphones in Classrooms

LOS ANGELES (September 24, 2024) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) said that the new California law requiring school boards to limit or disallow students from using cellphones during the school day by July 2026 will benefit students, and urged other states to follow suit with similar measures.

“Cellphones in the classroom have made children and teens more easily distracted, among other issues, and California is wise to require school districts to move towards reducing or eliminating cellphone use during the school day. Phone-free schools are valuable for our children’s health and well-being, and their ability to learn,” said Melissa Henson, vice president, Parents Television and Media Council.

In June, Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the nation, approved a resolution to develop a policy that bans student use of cellphones and social media platforms during school. In August, new data showed that 90% of National Education Association members “support school policy prohibiting cell phone/personal devices during instructional time.”

“NEA members cited a number of concerns, including that social media use impacts the mental health of students, and that smartphones can be weaponized against classmates and teachers. And let’s not forget that social media and technology is addictive and can expose children to predators, sexually explicit and graphically violent content,” she said.

The PTC’s new whitepaper, Smartphones in the Classroom: What States are Doing to Confront These Digital Distractions, found that 28 U.S. states have made efforts to ban or limit cell phone use in schools.

Last week, the Virginia Department of Education released recommendations that cellphones be banned for students during the school day, following VA Governor Youngkin’s executive order calling for “phone free” schools.