While many California classrooms already ban cell phones, Governor Gavin Newsom has called for stricter measures through a statewide restriction or ban on the favored devices. But many Bay Area schools remain divided over the proposal.
Newsom had already approved a law in 2019 that empowers school districts to limit or ban student cellphone use in class. He recently said he plans to further restrict student cellphone use in class based on that law – AB 272 – but offered no specific plans. His office declined to supply further details.
“I look forward to working with lawmakers to limit smartphone use during the school day,” Newsom said in a press release. “When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies – not their screens.”
The announcement got here after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms warning that social media use can harm teens' mental health.
There continues to be disagreement amongst researchers as as to if digital media might be blamed for the deterioration of mental health amongst children and adolescents. Some have argued There is little evidence of a link between the usage of digital technology and the mental health of young people. Others say that smartphones cause a “Epidemic of mental illness.”
Many Bay Area districts already restrict or prohibit student cellular phone use in class. Often, students are allowed to make use of their phones between classes or outside of sophistication time.
“Cell phones are part of our culture and a necessary means of communication for many students and families related to transportation, extracurricular activities, child care and monitoring student health,” said Michelle Dawson, spokeswoman for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. “Our focus is to teach students how to use their cell phones respectfully, responsibly and within our established policies.”
Former Fremont Unified School District Superintendent CJ Cammack said that while the district allows “reasonable” cellphone use, elementary school students are required to show off their devices during school hours. Cammack added that middle and highschool teachers are allowed to limit or prohibit cellphone use of their individual classrooms.
As executive director of the buyer advocacy group California for Safe Technology, Cheryl Matthews advocates for restrictions and bans on students' cellular phone and social media use. She says that while social media has some positive features, it is simply too distracting for college students and has gotten “out of control.”
“Cell phone bans … improve academic performance, encourage more face-to-face interaction (and) reduce cyberbullying,” Matthews said. “It promotes healthier habits and ensures school integrity because kids can't cheat on assignments.”
Some districts have already banned cell phones entirely throughout the school day. Just last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District — the state's largest — made headlines when its school board voted to ban students from using cell phones starting in 2025.
The San Mateo Union High School District banned cellphone use in schools in 2019 after teachers raised concerns about their students' social media habits and addictions, said Adam Gelb, former assistant principal at San Mateo High School.
The district has partnered with technology company Yondr to supply students with magnetic bags to lock their phones in throughout the school day. Once the bag is locked, students must tap it on a release base to access their phone.
Gelb said the highschool allows students to maintain their phones of their backpacks or on their desks, but teachers will occasionally unlock the phones to ascertain that students' phones are securely locked.
“All students (and) all classes had their phones in their pockets all day long from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.,” Gelb said.
But stricter cell phone restrictions have raised doubts amongst some parents and students about safety in schools.
Gelb said San Mateo High School incorporated the luggage into existing security drills so students and teachers can be prepared to unlock their phones within the event of an emergency.
But Zoe Touray, a member of the gun control group March for Our Lives, said it was her phone that saved her life when a 15-year-old boy shot and killed 4 students at a Michigan highschool three years ago.
Touray said she and other Oxford High School students thought the November 2021 shooting was just one other lockdown drill until they saw students running out of the constructing on social media and realized the danger they were in.
“I think that's the only major downside that the governor is suggesting, simply because my phone was the most important thing in my life that day. And it still is to this day,” Touray said. “Even now … I can look for an exit, but my first thought is, 'Where's my phone?' So I can contact my mom or the police if I need to. My phone is always my first choice.”
Sara Herrera, mother of a student at Valley Christian Schools in San Jose, said the concept of tighter restrictions worries her if her daughter cannot contact her throughout the day.
“I have to have access to her in some way,” Herrera said.
“Given the significant demographic, topographical and ideological differences among California's 940 school districts and 58 county school boards, we should not leave this issue to lawmakers in Sacramento but address it at the local level,” said Troy Flint, the association's communications director.
Don Austin, superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District, agreed that decisions regarding student cellphone use should remain with locally elected school boards, stressing that it is mindless for schools in districts that provide students with computers and Wi-Fi access to limit or ban cellphones.
“I am convinced that addictive social media applications are harmful to students. There are many ways to address this problem that go beyond bans or restrictions on mobile devices,” Austin said. “If social media is the enemy, perhaps the restrictions should be tailored to the social media channels.”
image credit : www.mercurynews.com