Last updated on August 27, 2024 by BVN
Overview: California Governor Gavin Newsom has urged school districts to immediately restrict students’ smartphone use on campus, citing research that shows excessive smartphone use is linked to increased anxiety, depression and other mental health issues among teens. The move is part of a national trend in which several states and countries are implementing cellphone bans in schools to reduce distractions and improve test scores. However, some are opposed to banning cellphones in classrooms, citing concerns about accessibility in an emergency.
SE Williams
These days, mobile phones are almost an extra appendage. We carry them around with us as if they were as sacred as an arm or a leg. We would be lost without them and it is the same with our children.
If you were uncomfortable on any level, perhaps the ancestors were trying to tell you something, and now our governor is trying to do the same.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently sent letters to school district officials urging them to immediately restrict students’ smartphone use on campus.
California is not alone in this regard. It is among states across the country – both red and blue – rushing to take action as all grapple with data showing the troubling reality that “excessive smartphone use among youth is associated with increased anxiety, depression and other mental health issues,” Newsom stressed in his letter.
“Reducing phone use in the classroom leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and increased social interactions.”
Governor of California, Gavin Newsom
He also points to a PEW survey that found that “72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem.” Newsom also pointed to a report by Common Sense Media that found that “97% of students use their phones for an average of 43 minutes during the school day.”
The governor further stressed that given all this information and the US Secretary of Health’s warnings about the risks of social media, “there is an urgent need to put in place common sense safeguards for smartphone use in schools,” he argued.
Although many still disagree with this policy, the proof is in the “try,” so to speak. According to the governor, schools that have already implemented this policy have shown better test scores and less bullying.
Why has it taken California and America so long to address this problem, especially when we knew before COVID that our children were suffering?
In 2019, the CDC reported that there were 2,039 suicides among high school youth ages 14 to 18 nationwide. Suicide accounted for about 33.9%, or nearly one in three, injury-related deaths in this age group. Between 2009 and 2018, the suicide rate in this age group increased a shocking 61.7%, from 6.0 to 9.7 per 100,000.
In addition, the National Center for Biotechnology Information reported that between 2008 and 2020, the suicide rate among youth ages 12 to 17 increased by a shocking 70.3%, from 3.7 to 6.3 per 100,000 residents—another warning sign that something was wrong. And then, of course, came COVID-19.
The questions I keep asking myself are: If the data shows that it is bad for children, and we continue to watch youth suicide rates rise, why is it taking so long here in America to take the necessary legislative action to make this a duty to protect children? Other countries are way ahead of us in this regard. Some of them have already taken action and banned cell phones in school classrooms. France was a pioneer in 2018. Other countries with bans include England, Finland, Israel, Australia, Ontario, Greece, Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda, Russia, Sweden, China, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
In the U.S., some states are now taking action to restrict cell phone use. The Republican state of Florida was the first to implement such a ban last year. Meanwhile, in California, many school districts across the state have begun implementing cell phone policies for their school districts on their own, while well-intentioned state laws that would establish mandatory requirements are still working their way through the legislature. Meanwhile, the San Bernardino Unified School District appears to have had cell phone policies in place for years, according to a recent report.
The movement here in California is possible thanks to AB 272, which Newsom signed into law in 2019. The law empowered school districts to regulate smartphone use during school hours. The law granted authorization—but not a mandate.
Of course, it wouldn’t be America if there weren’t many on the other side with a different perspective. They argue against banning cell phones in classrooms for a few important reasons. Some just because they want to be able to reach their children at all times. Others point to the nation’s shameful history of mass school shootings. They want their children to have access to a cell phone at all times in case of an emergency.
I certainly understand the concerns on both sides on this issue. However, a 2023 report from Education Weekly found that around 97% of all students use their phones at school. The average usage is 43 minutes – about the length of an average class period. And Education Weekly reported last year that one in five students, a whopping 20%, receive more than 500 notifications a day.
Almost all students (97 percent) use their phones at some point during the school day, for an average of 43 minutes, the study found, which in many schools is about the length of an entire class period.
The fact that we as a state, as a nation, are lagging behind most industrialized countries in this respect is irresponsible, especially because we have known for years that we are heading for a crisis. We must master technology and not allow technology to control us and be the best thing for our children.
Of course, that’s just my opinion. I’ll be honest.
