Cell phones and social media to be banned in Los Angeles public schools
In Los Angeles, California, students will be prohibited from using cell phones and social media in public schools during instructional hours.
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According to reports in the US press, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education has approved a decision banning students from using cell phones and social media platforms during instructional hours.
Accordingly, a plan regarding the decision will be prepared within 120 days, and the policy will go into effect as of January 2025.
The ban affects more than 429,000 students in Los Angeles, the second-largest school district in the country.
AIMING TO PREVENT DISTRACTION
Los Angeles Unified School District Board member Nick Melvoin stated in his remarks on the matter, "I think we're going to be a leader here, and as a result, the students, the whole city, and the country will benefit."
It is stated that this step aims to prevent classroom distraction and protect the mental health of students.
According to a survey conducted in the fall of 2023 by the US-based think tank Pew Research Center, teachers in the US are increasingly facing problems regarding students' cell phone use, with one-third emphasizing that phone-related distraction is a "major problem in their classrooms."
'SOCIAL MEDIA IS HARMING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR YOUTH'
California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his support for efforts to restrict cell phone use in schools across the state.
Supporting the views of US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on the subject, Newsom said, "Social media is harming the mental health of our youth."
US Surgeon General Murthy stated in an announcement yesterday that he believes there is a mental health "emergency" among young people, and called for social media platforms to carry safety warning labels similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products.