On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law mandating schools to restrict or ban smartphone usage, in response to growing concerns that excessive use may contribute to mental health issues and hinder learning.
Thirteen other states have already implemented similar restrictions or suggested local educators do so, following Florida’s 2023 ban on phones in classrooms, according to Education Week.
With nearly 5.9 million public school students, California follows the example of Los Angeles County, which banned smartphones for its 429,000 students in June, as reported by Reuters. That same month, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, likening the issue to a mental health crisis.
Murthy referenced a study published in JAMA showing that adolescents who spend more than three hours daily on social media face a higher risk of mental illness, and cited a Gallup poll revealing that teens average 4.8 hours of daily social media use.
The California law, passed with overwhelming support (76-0 in the state assembly and 38-1 in the senate), requires school boards to create policies to limit or ban smartphones on campuses by July 1, 2026, with updates every five years.
