Los Angeles Unified School District Board votes to ban student cell phone use

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted this week to ban smartphones for its 429,000 students in an effort to protect children from distractions and social media that undermine learning and harm mental health.

The board of America’s second-largest school district voted 5-2 to approve a resolution to develop a policy within 120 days banning students’ use of cellphones and social media platforms. The policy would take effect in January 2025.

“I think we are leading the way here and students and the entire city and the entire country will benefit,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution.

On Monday, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label on social media platforms, similar to those on cigarette packs, citing what he considers a mental health emergency.

LA school officials will consider whether phones should be kept in bags or lockers during school hours and what exceptions should be made for students of different ages and those with learning or physical disabilities.

School officials will also explore how technology can be used to restrict social media platforms and how the policy will address different types of devices, such as smart watches.

Board member George McKenna voted against the resolution because he was concerned the policy would be too restrictive. Board member Scott Schmerelson also voted “no,” saying it was unclear whether the ban would apply outside of instructional time and who would enforce the policy.

“I think it’s going to be a full-time job as a telephone police officer,” Schmerelson said.

Los Angeles joins a number of smaller school districts in banning access to phones or social media. Florida, with about 2.8 million public school students, passed a law last year requiring school districts to prevent students’ access to social media. Several other states have introduced similar legislation.

While research into the mental health risks remains incomplete, Murthy, the surgeon general, said the emergency was so clear that action was needed.

Murthy cited a study in the medical journal JAMA showing that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media may be at increased risk for mental illness, while he referenced a Gallup poll showing that the average teenager 4.8 spend hours a day on social media.

The LA school district cited other evidence linking cellphone addiction to rising rates of anxiety and cyberbullying.