California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill requiring schools to limit or ban smartphone use amid growing consensus that excessive use can increase the risk of mental illness and impair learning.
This year, 13 more states have banned or restricted cellphones in schools or recommended local educators do so, after Florida led the way by banning phones in classrooms in 2023, according to Education Week.
California, with nearly 5.9 million public school students, has followed the lead of its own Los Angeles County, whose school board banned smartphones for its 429,000 students in June. Reuters reported.
That same month, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label to be included on social media platforms, similar to those found on cigarette packages, likening the problem to a mental health emergency.
Murthy cited a study in the medical journal JAMA showing that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media may be at higher risk for mental illness, while referencing a Gallup poll, opening a new tab showing that the average teen spends 4.8 hours per 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 smartphone use on campus by July 1, 2026, and to update the policy every five years.
“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 on their screens – when they're at school,” Newsom said in a statement.
