Students May Be Banned From Using Phones In Calif. Schools

LOS ANGELES, CA — Like parents everywhere, California school officials may soon have to decide when and how much screen time kids cans have.

A proposed bill by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would require schools statewide to adopt policies limiting or banning cellphones on school grounds. The measure would leave the policy specifics up to each district. Amid a growing body of evidence that excessive screen time inhibits academic performance and is linked to teen depression, several school districts have already taken pains to limit use of the ubiquitous devices in the classroom.

“To the extent that smartphones are becoming too much of a distraction in the classroom, I think every school community needs to have that conversation as to when is too much of a good thing getting in the way of educational and social development,” Muratsuchi told the Los Angeles Times.

Muratsuchi was a school board member in the South Bay, where some school districts have attempted to tackle the issue. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School Board established a policy requiring elementary school students to keep their phones off and out of sight during school hours.

According to the text of the bill, it “would require the governing body of a school district, a county office of education, or a charter school to adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a school site or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school.”

Though a majority of American teens carry cell phones, it doesn’t seem to be helping their emotional well being or academic performance. Researchers at San Diego State University found a correlation between teen’s reported levels of happiness and the rise of the smartphone, however the research on the long-term impact of smartphones is far from conclusive.

Its affect on academic performance, especially among the lowest performing students, seems a little more clear. Numerous studies show that low-performing teens score better on tests with a reduction in screen time.

An English study by The Center For Economic Performance looked at student performance after cell phones were banned from the classroom. The study found “that student performance in high stakes exams significantly increases post ban.... Our results indicate that these increases in performance are driven by the lowest achieving students. This suggests that restricting mobile phone use can be a low-cost policy to reduce educational inequalities.”

The reasons why some students benefit from a ban on smartphones is subject to speculation.
Those who support limiting cell phone usage on campus cite its use in cyberbullying, cheating and distracting students and teachers in the classroom.

According to the Times, other countries have already taken an aggressive approach to limiting smartphones in schools including France, where phones are banned at all primary and middle schools.

The newspaper quoted San Diego State psychology professor Jean Twenge, who authored a study on the link between excessive cellphone usage and teen depression and suicide rates. In addition to the emotional impact, there is the obvious impact in the classroom, she said.

“It's just too tempting for teens to look at their phones during class — and when they do, they are not only distracting themselves, but distracting their classmates and their teacher,” Twenge said.