LAUSD Votes to Ban Smartphones in Schools

Originally published by Howard Blume and Defne Karabatur for The LA Times

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The Los Angeles school board Tuesday set in motion a plan to ban cellphones all day on campus, saying the devices distract students from learning, lead to anxiety and allow cyberbullying.

The ban would take effect in January after details are approved in a future meeting by the Board of Education, with the goal of enforcing it across a student’s entire time at school, including lunch and other breaks.

“Our students are glued to their cellphones, not unlike adults,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who spearheaded the resolution. “They’re surreptitiously scrolling in school, in class time, or have their head in their hands, walking down the hallways. They’re not talking to each other or playing at lunch or recess because they have their AirPods in.”

The board action adds momentum to growing campaigns in California to restrict or eliminate cellphone use at schools amid reports about how the devices, coupled with the use of social media, coincide with skyrocketing anxiety and other harms to children...

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Article continues at: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-18/lausd-board-approved-strict-cell-phone-ban

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