California Passes Law To Ban Or Restrict Smartphones In School

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that will require California school districts to restrict or ban student cellphone use during school hours. The initiative is intended to address the increasing concerns over social media and children’s mental health.

Thirteen other states in the United States, including Louisiana and Indiana, have already passed similar restrictions. The trend was reportedly spearheaded by Florida, which banned phones in classrooms last year. In June, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted to ban smartphones for its 429,000 students. California's bill requires school boards to develop a policy to limit or prohibit student use of smartphones on campus by July 1, 2026. The bill passed 76-0 in the state assembly and 38-1 in the senate.

According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 72% of high school teachers in the United States said cell phone distraction “is a major problem in the classroom.” In June, the US surgeon general called on Congress to require social media platforms to carry warning labels on their effects on young people’s lives, similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.