LAUSD becomes the second largest school district to ban cell phones during school hours

Last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted to ban students from using smartphones with the goal of supporting students' academic success and wellbeing. The resolution that was sponsored by board member Nick Melvoin’s will lead to phone-free school days across the district. 

“Kids no longer have the opportunity to just be kids,” said Melvoin. “I’m hoping this resolution will help students not only focus in class, but also give them a chance to interact and engage more with each other—and just be kids.” 

The resolution, which was co-sponsored by board president Jackie Goldberg and moard members Kelly Gonez and Tanya Ortiz Franklin, calls on the district to create a comprehensive implementation policy to take effect January  2025. 

Studies show that smartphones are affecting children's learning, child development and even mental health. Robin Nabi, a UC Santa Barbara professor of communication headed up a study of parents to look at how various forms of media use might impact their children’s emotional intelligence.

In her research, she found that the emotional intelligence of kids is negatively affected by their parents' smartphone use, which is also common to the scenario of a caregiver engaging in a screen while their child is nearby begging for attention.

According to Melvoin, “students’ addiction to their phones has hurt their socialization, their mental health and their academic success.” As the governor of California also supports the statewide restrictions on smartphones in schools, the U.S. Surgeon General has urged Congress to require similar warning labels on social media, similar to what appears on tobacco and alcohol products.

“The negative impacts of cell phone use in adolescents, particularly the addictive qualities of social media, are increasingly clear,” said board member Gonez. “It’s important that we take proactive steps in addressing these challenges when students are in our care, and updating our cell phone policy will help ensure we can focus on learning during the school day.”

Dr. Judy Ho, acclaimed TV personality and clinical neuropsychologist in Los Angeles, recently released a book called The New Rules of Attachment, in which she discusses this timely issue. Her book also addresses the importance of positive early connections and the need for resources to help young people form healthier bonds and regulate emotions without relying on screens. 

Dr. Judy’s game-changing approach shows that our attachment style impacts every aspect of our lives: friendships, career, goal setting, and, critically, our sense of self. Moreover, we can all learn to become securely attached—no matter what attachment style we developed in childhood—meaning that we can reclaim our ability to feel safe, loved, and capable of achieving the life we’ve always wanted.

Also, her first book, Stop Self-Sabotage, outlines the ways in which our thoughts and behaviors can get in the way of healthy living and the scientific, practical ways to turn these negative patterns around to achieve joy, increase productivity and improve overall wellness.

Despite the growing trend to limit cell phones in classrooms in both districts and statehouses, Los Angeles Unified has become the largest to adopt a full-fledged ban on phones during school hours to enhance students' learning and well-being. Its 429,000 students comprise one of the world's most ethnically, racially and linguistically diverse school systems.

"Cell phone use in schools has gotten out of control,” said board president Goldberg. “It's gotten to the point that students don't talk face-to-face, but instead text one another when they're sitting right next to each other! I joined forces with board members Melvoin and Ortiz Franklin to sponsor this resolution because research tells us what we already know: excessive cell phone use impacts students' mental health and academic performance. It's time to update our policy and make it a district-wide responsibility."

Nowadays, giving children smartphones is being normalized without knowing the precautions or the consequences or their child's future development. In a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 60% of children were exposed to smartphones before age five. In that group, 31% had been introduced to phones before age two. 

“Consistent with my announcement months ago, it is time to formulate a legal strategy that contemplates, but is not restricted to, litigation against social media entities that use algorithms designed to directly appeal and eventually develop, an unhealthy addiction with mental and physical deleterious consequences for our youth,” said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. “When coupled with social media, phones are a harmful vehicle that negatively impacts young people.”

Also, board member Dr. Rocio Rivas said that a study on the harmful impacts of cell phones and their excessive use is long overdue. “It is important for the Board of Education to balance many interests - including fostering distraction-free learning environments, minimizing inequitable implementation of school policies, and retaining some flexibility and resources for our schools to address their local interests and issues.”