PTC Says Los Angeles Unified is Wise to Ban Cell Phones, Social Media

LOS ANGELES (June 25, 2024) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) applauded the Los Angeles Unified School District for moving to prohibit the use of mobile phones and social media platforms.

According to USA Today, “The Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education voted 5-2, approving a resolution to develop within 120 days a policy that bans student use of cellphones and social media platforms during the entire school day. The policy, which will be implemented districtwide, will go into effect by January, according to the board. “

“Children’s health and well-being is being harmed by addictive technology and social media. And there are great risks to our youth that come with social media usage. Risks include exposure to predators, sexually explicit and graphically violent content, and powerful algorithms that feed harmful content to children. Los Angeles Unified made a wise decision to restrict the use of mobile phones and social media during the school day – setting an example for other schools to do the same,” said Melissa Henson, vice president, Parents Television and Media Council.

Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, saying that the “mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor.” He also warned, saying, “These harms [from social media] are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.”

The Parents Television and Media Council has created a Resource Center for parents and caregivers with the latest information and research about protecting children online and from explicit media marketed to them.