California is the latest and largest state to require its schools to restrict or ban cellphone use in the classroom.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed the Phone-Free School Act on Monday, which requires every school in the Golden State to implement a policy limiting cellphone use by July 1, 2026. California’s law comes after other states, including Florida and Indiana, passed similar laws aimed at improving students’ performance in the classroom.
“We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues – but we have the power to intervene. This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school,” Newsom said in a statement Monday.
The legislation puts into law Newsom’s plea to California schools to form a policy restricting cellphone use in the classroom. In August, Newsom’s office sent a letter to every school district in the Golden State, asking schools to take action as the new academic year began.
The bill passed nearly unanimously in the state Assembly and by a 38-1 margin in the state Senate. One of the authors of the legislation, Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover, called the bipartisan effort a “major victory for protecting and improving the mental health and academic outcomes of students across California.”
“Research continues to demonstrate the potential harms of smartphone use among children. The growing use of these devices in a child’s everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. I am proud our state is taking action to limit the use of smartphones during the school day and protect kids from these harms,” Hoover said in a statement.
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As students’ cellphone use in the classroom becomes a rising problem for teachers, according to research, several states have adopted policies aimed at curbing the distraction.
Florida, Indiana, and Ohio have passed laws banning or minimizing the use of cellphones at school, while Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) signed an executive order earlier this year banning cellphones from classrooms but leaving specific policies to school districts.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
