In a letter to California schools, Governor Gavin Newsom urged teachers to right away restrict cellphone use on campus when students return to classrooms.
“Excessive smartphone use among teens is linked to increased anxiety, depression and other mental health problems,” Newsom said within the letter.
He cited a Pew Research Institute survey that found 72 percent of highschool teachers and 33 percent of middle school teachers say cellphone distractions are a serious problem. Newsom also cited a Common Sense Media survey that found 97 percent of scholars use their phones for a median of 43 minutes in the course of the school day.
Newsom had already passed a law in 2019 that empowers school districts to limit or ban students' cellphone use at school. In July, he said he desired to further restrict student cellphone use based on that law (AB 272), but didn’t explain how he plans to accomplish that.
In his letter Tuesday, Newsom urged school administrators to make use of AB 272 to limit students' smartphone use on campus.
“As I work with lawmakers to further restrict student smartphone use on campus, there is no reason for schools to wait,” he said. “The evidence is clear: reduced cell phone use in the classroom leads to better concentration, better academic outcomes and improved social interactions.”
Newsom in his letter praised California schools and college districts — including Santa Barbara Unified, Bullard High in Fresno and Los Angeles Unified — for already implementing smartphone restrictions on school campuses. Los Angeles Unified voted in July to ban students from using cellphones starting in 2025. San Mateo High School became a phone-free campus in 2019.
But many Bay Area schools remain divided over Newsom's proposal to expand existing laws restricting smartphone use on school grounds.
Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District says cell phones are a part of the culture and obligatory for a lot of families. The district said last month that it is concentrated on teaching students how one can use smartphones respectfully and responsibly.
And Don Austin, superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District, stressed in July that it is mindless to limit or ban cellphone use in districts that provide students with computers and Wi-Fi access.
According to Politico, Newsom's eldest child, Montana, is scheduled to start her freshman yr in the autumn on the Branson School, a personal academy in Ross where the Newsom family owns a house. Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, also attended the academy.
According to the varsity's website, the academy considers technology to be a very important part of scholars' education. The school offers a “Bring your own Apple device” program, which allows students to bring their personal devices to class. Such policies typically include the usage of laptops in school.
The California School Boards Association said last month that while it encourages school districts to think about the potential dangers posed by phone and social media use on campus, district leaders should determine for themselves whether to implement restrictions.
“Given the significant demographic, topographic 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,” Troy Flint, the association's communications director, said in July.
In his letter Tuesday, Newsom said reducing phone use within the classroom results in improved concentration and higher academic outcomes and social interactions.
“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning and growth,” he said. “By working together, educators, school administrators and parents can create an environment where students can fully focus on their education, free from the distractions of phones and the pressures of social media.”
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