By Daniel Trotta
(Reuters) – California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday requiring schools to limit or ban the use of smartphones, amid growing consensus that excessive use can increase the risk of mental illness and harm learning.
This year, 13 other states have banned or restricted cellphone use in schools or recommended that local teachers do so, after Florida led the way by banning phones in the classroom in 2023, according to Education Week.
California, which has nearly 5.9 million public school students, followed the lead of its own Los Angeles County, whose school board banned smartphones from its 429,000 students in June.
That same month, US GP Vivek Murthy called for a warning to be posted on social media platforms, similar to the one on cigarette packages, comparing the issue to a mental health emergency.
Murthy cited a study published in the medical journal JAMA showing that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media may be at increased risk for mental illness, while also referencing a Gallup poll showing that the average teen spends 4.8 hours a day on social media.
The California bill, which passed 76-0 in the state Assembly and 38-1 in the Senate, requires school boards or other governing bodies to develop a policy to limit or prohibit student use of smartphones on campus by July 1, 2026, and to update that policy every five years.
“We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, but we have the power to take action. This new law will help students focus on their academics, social development and the world around them—not on their screens—while they’re at school,” Newsom said in a statement.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, Calif.; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
