Cell phone ban in LAUSD begins in January
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho talks about the impending cell phone ban that will take effect in January 2025.
LOS ANGELES – In June, school board members of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country, voted to advance a resolution that would ban cellphones during school hours starting in January 2025.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the plan includes possible lawsuits against social media companies to protect students from addictive content.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Unified pushes forward with cell phone ban during school hours
“This is certainly the least controversial right decision we have made, but it is welcomed by parents and many students who recognize the harmful effects that excessive use of mobile phones has on children’s psychological well-being. So we have about four months to consult with stakeholders, researchers, teachers, parents, the students themselves and school principals,” Carvalho said.
“We are also analyzing the technology available for safe storage of mobile phones or technologies that deactivate the signal and render the mobile phone unusable so you don’t have to store it,” he added.
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The resolution was pushed by LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin. In an Instagram post, Melvoin said, “The research is clear: widespread smartphone and social media use by children and teens is harmful to their mental health, distracts from learning, and prevents meaningful face-to-face interactions.”
LA Unified bans cell phone use during school hours
Some school administrators believe that a ban would be difficult to enforce and some parents want their children to have mobile phones for safety reasons.
“We want children to interact socially with their peers rather than, as we often see, hanging their heads even when they are around their peers. We want to limit distractions in the classroom. We want to provide teachers with the learning environment they deserve,” Carvalho said.
“It is an ongoing process. We will present the final recommendations sometime in December so that they can be implemented in January 2025,” he added.
In other districts, a ban on mobile phones has already been introduced.
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“Some use lockers for cell phones. So when a child comes into school, they just leave their phone in a locker and get it back when they leave,” Melvoin said. “Others use these pouches that some people may be familiar with from comedy shows or concerts.”
However, some school administrators believe that a ban would be difficult to enforce and some parents want their children to have mobile phones for safety reasons.
