Student use of cellphones in K-12 schools has been criticized for years.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has frequently challenged their use in schools,
including signing legislation in 2019 that granted school districts the
authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours.

As schools were beginning the current new school year, Newsom wrote to
State school districts and stressed, “Leveraging the tools of this law,
I urge every school district to act now to restrict smartphone use on
campus as we begin the new academic year. The evidence is clear:
reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better
academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions.”

By the end of August, the State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3216,
the “Phone-Free Schools Act”. It now awaits Newsom’s signature, or
possible veto, which is unlikely.

If signed, California would join Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South
Carolina and Ohio in passing statewide cellphone restrictions for public
schools.

AB 3216 requires the governing body of a school district, a county
office of education, or a charter school to develop and adopt a policy
to limit or prohibit pupils using smartphones while at a school site.
This policy must be adopted by July 1, 2026.

There are some exceptions, such as an emergency, or in response to a
perceived threat of danger. A physician may determine that possession of
a smartphone is necessary for the student’s health.

Also, teachers or administrators may grant permission to a pupil to
possess or use a smartphone, subject to any reasonable limitations.

Section 4(c) of AB 3216 specifically states that it “. . . does not
authorize monitoring, collecting, or otherwise accessing any information
related to a pupil’s online activities.”

Concern over student use of smartphones during school became a visible
national issue in June, when Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy wrote a New
York Times opinion piece warning of the use of cellphones and their
connection to social media.

The next day, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board voted to ban
cellphones on campus. Their reason was simply, “. . . the devices
distract students from learning, lead to anxiety and allow
cyberbullying.”

“As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental
health of our youth,” Newsom said in statement supporting these efforts
“When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their
studies — not their screens.”

In conjunction with Newsom’s August letter, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also wrote California school districts
imploring them to address the issue to restrict students’ cell phone use
in schools,

“I want to commend those schools and districts who have chosen to start
this school year by establishing clear limits on students’ cell phone
use in schools,” said Thurmond in his press release. “As parents and
educators, we know that excessive smartphone use has a negative impact
on the well-being of our young people. Our responsibility to protect
young people from harm includes establishing clear limits on their
access to smartphones at school and, in doing so, supporting our kids’
healthy development both academically and socially.”

The need for this action was stated in the Senate analysis of AB 3216.
“Extended studies have demonstrated that the use of smartphones in
classrooms can detract from students’ academic performances while
contributing to higher rates of academic dishonesty and cyberbullying.
In consideration of California’s deficiency when it comes to academic
performance as compared to other states, it is imperative for the
Legislature to take action to resolve this issue. AB 3216 will require
local educational agencies to implement a policy that prohibits the use
of smartphones by their pupils while present at a school site during
operational hours.”

Nevertheless, research on this issue has yielded inconsistent results.
Some studies have found that long use of cellphones diminishes learning
and results in feelings of low self-esteem and addiction.

“Social media can affect adolescents’ self-view and interpersonal
relationships through social comparison and negative interactions,
including cyberbullying; moreover, social media content often involves
normalization and even promotion of self-harm and suicidality among
youth,” a 2020 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal
reported.

But other research has not been able to demonstrate or confirm these
negative consequences.

“The results have been really mixed, with probably the consensus being
that no, it’s not related,” said Dr. Mitch Prinstein, the chief science
officer at the American Psychological Association, who has testified in
the Senate on this subject, The New York Times reported.

On Aug. 27, Thurmond reconvened the Closing the Digital Divide Task
Force to address smartphones, social media, and youth wellness. This
Task Force initially came out of California’s urgent need to bridge
technology resource gaps at the beginning of the pandemic, and it is the
work of this task force that helped California’s students and families
access affordable internet connectivity during distance, according to
Thurmond’s press release.

This session focused on smartphone addiction, social media, and youth
wellness. Thurmond gathered testimony from educators, parents, and
students who have experienced a range of smartphone and social media
policies on school campuses—from policies that remove smartphones from
the educational environment by placing them in secure, locked pouches to
policies that simply disincentivize smartphone use.

“Technology and social media are tools to aid learning, but we also need
to balance how those tools impact our youth. The data shows a clear need
to address our students’ mental health both at school and at home,” said
Thurmond.

Locally, Hemet Unified School District has adopted a new policy
regarding student cellphone use. It was implemented at the beginning of
this new school year.

“We have adopted a district wide policy . . . that will limit the use of
cell phones during instructional periods,” wrote HUSD Superintendent Dr.
Christi Barrett in an email to the Town Crier. “The restrictions vary
for elementary students versus middle school students, and high school
students.”

Students must have phones off during the day. High school students can
have phones out during passing periods and lunch.