California passes law to ban or restrict smartphones in school

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California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Monday that mandates schools to restrict or ban smartphone use, citing concerns over the negative impact of excessive phone usage on mental health and learning. This move follows a growing trend, with 13 other states having introduced similar restrictions this year. Florida pioneered the ban on phones in classrooms in 2023, according to Education Week.

California, home to nearly 5.9 million public school students, is following the lead of Los Angeles County, which banned smartphones for its 429,000 students in June. The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, also called for social media platforms to carry warning labels, similar to cigarette packaging, highlighting the potential mental health risks.

Murthy referenced a study published in the medical journal JAMA that found adolescents who use social media for more than three hours a day are at a higher risk of developing mental health issues. Additionally, a Gallup poll indicated that the average teen spends 4.8 hours per day on social media.

California's new legislation, which passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the state legislature, requires school boards or governing bodies to implement policies limiting or prohibiting smartphone use on school campuses by July 1, 2026, with updates required every five years.

Newsom emphasized the importance of the law, stating, "We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues—but we have the power to intervene. This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they're in school."