On Tuesday, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board voted to implement a policy banning cell phones in the classroom. The “Phone-Free School Day” initiative aims to address rising youth anxiety and cyberbullying associated with social media as well as curb distractions in the educational environment.
LAUSD school board member Nick Melvoin, who spearheaded the ban, explained that he often hears complaints from teachers, students, and parents alike about the increasing amount of time spent on managing student phone use. He believes that implementing a cohesive enforcement strategy would benefit both educators and students, as evidenced by schools that have already implemented similar policies.
The proposed ban builds upon LAUSD’s existing 2011 cellphone restrictions, which were not enforced due to a lack of concrete guidelines for implementation. Under the new policy, students will be required to secure their devices in designated spaces while on school premises, including during break periods. The specific storage location – whether it be individual lockers or designated pouches – will be determined by each of the 778 schools within the LAUSD, which serves over 600,000 students.
While the new rule could go into effect as early as the fall semester of 2024, it is guaranteed to be implemented no later than January 2025. The decision was made despite concerns from some board members who believe enforcing the ban would be too challenging for faculty at the nation’s second-largest school district. Parents have also expressed reservations about the policy change. Some argue that they need to maintain open communication with their children during the school day, while others contend that cell phones provide students with a means of documenting inappropriate behavior by staff members.
LAUSD’s decision to ban cell phones comes on the heels of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for Congress to pass legislation requiring social media platforms to display warning labels similar to those found on tobacco products. Murthy cited these networks as significant contributors to the ongoing “mental health crisis” affecting American youth and urged lawmakers to consider mandating “surgeon general’s warnings” on all major social media platforms.
