Newswise — As school starts in California this week, Governor Gavin Newsom is urging more school campuses to enact cellphone bans to address the growing mental health crisis among students.
Proponents say such bans would help prevent cyberbullying, counter rising rates of depression and anxiety, and improve student concentration in class.
But could these goals be achieved by banning smartphones during school hours?
Dr. John Piacentini, a child and adolescent psychologist and professor at UCLA Health, said he agreed that the bans had a positive impact on several areas, including students’ critical thinking skills, social development, attention span and mental health.
“Using mobile phones in school does more harm than good,” says Piacentini, who is also the father of three children.
Piacentini, who serves as director of UCLA’s Center for Child Anxiety Resilience, Education, and Support, is available for interviews to discuss the impact of cell phone use on children’s mental health.
To arrange an interview, contact Will Houston, UCLA Health spokesperson, at (email protected) or 310-948-2966.
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