On Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom of California declared his intention to limit the use of smartphones by students during school hours. The governor cited the potential risks to mental health associated with social media as the primary reason for this action.
Politico was the first to report on the announcement, made by California Governor Gavin Newsom, that he plans to strengthen a law he signed in 2019. This law allowed school districts to restrict or prohibit the use of smartphones by students while at school or under the supervision of a school employee. The announcement comes on the heels of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms regarding their effects on young people.
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The Democratic governor released a statement acknowledging the Surgeon General’s affirmation that social media is causing harm to the mental health of young people. He expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Legislature to impose limitations on the usage of smartphones during school hours. The governor firmly believes that the primary focus of children and teenagers during school should be on their studies, not their screens.
According to sources, details on Newsom’s proposal were not provided by his office. However, the California School Boards Association has stated that any regulations regarding the use of smartphones by students should be determined by individual school districts rather than the state.
Troy Flint, the spokesperson for the organization, stated that they endorse laws that provide school administrators with the authority to create policies that are aligned with the needs of their community and students. This approach enables leaders to make decisions that are tailored to the unique requirements of their district.
Amidst the ongoing nationwide debate on how to tackle the effects of social media and smartphone usage, particularly on the youth, Newsom has made an announcement. Many teenagers have resolved to stay away from social media platforms to enhance their mental well-being and concentrate on their studies and other extracurricular activities.
Earlier this year, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the nation’s strictest bans on children’s social media usage in Florida. Meanwhile, this month, the New York state Legislature passed a bill that empowers parents to block their children from receiving social media posts suggested by the platform’s algorithm.
A proposal in California aimed at imposing fines on social media platforms for their role in causing addiction among children hasn’t made it to the stage of becoming a law in recent years. However, State Senator Nancy Skinner, a Democrat representing Berkeley, has introduced a bill that prohibits online platforms from offering addictive content to minors. The bill was passed in the state Senate in May and is scheduled for a committee hearing in the Assembly next month.
On Tuesday, the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District voted in favor of creating policies that would prohibit students from using their cell phones during the entirety of the school day, with a few exceptions. Nick Melvoin, a board member and former teacher who frequently visits school campuses, expressed his observation that students are often fixated on their phones, much like adults.
During the meeting, he expressed that he has been hearing similar concerns from teachers, students, parents, and principals. The common issue raised by all of them is that an increasing amount of time is being spent on monitoring and controlling students’ mobile phone usage. He further added that there is no consistent enforcement of this policy and urged the board and district to provide support in this regard.
Democratic State Senator Henry Stern, who represents a portion of the Los Angeles region, proposed a bill earlier this year that would broaden the jurisdiction of school districts in controlling students’ use of social media while on campus. Stern has expressed his willingness to withdraw his bill, which has already been passed by the Senate, if Governor Newsom and other lawmakers can devise a more effective solution. Following the governor’s announcement, Stern sent a text message to express his gratitude.
According to Stern, it can be overwhelming for teachers, schools, and parents to navigate this issue on their own. He believes that there are certain instances where the government needs to intervene and establish more comprehensive guidelines for everyone to follow. “It’s just too hard for every teacher, every school, or every parent to have to figure this out on their own,” Stern stated. “There’s some times where government just has to step in and make some bigger rules of the road.”
