Technology and Mental Health at the Top List of California’s Priorities
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a groundbreaking measure to ban or otherwise restrict smartphones in class for schools, responding to increasing evidence that excessive screen time negatively affects mental health and educational achievement. The new law comes as part of a wider move by states to tackle the technology mental health issue.
This growing sense-good news for some, not so for others-develops from an already-growing consensus among educators, health officials, and lawmakers on the deleterious effects of smartphone use for students. Following Florida’s example last year, thirteen states have either imposed restrictions or advised schools to do so, regarding cell phone use in classrooms. It joins a spate of discussions about adolescent mental health that have been growing since research reports came out on the dangers of teenagers using their phones to spend hours on social media.
The California move will affect nearly 5.9 million public school students and comes as Los Angeles County, in June, banned smartphones for its 429,000 students on school grounds. Its school board approved that ban after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called earlier this year for warning labels on social media platforms, like those on packs of cigarettes. Murthy compared the smartphone problem to a mental health state of emergency, pointing to research in the medical journal JAMA that suggests adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media are much more likely to develop a mental illness. A Gallup poll reinforces that concern, finding the average teenager spends about 4.8 hours each day on social media.
The new rule of California, which came into being with overwhelming bipartisan support-a 76-0 vote in the state assembly and a 38-1 vote in the senate-requests that school boards and governing bodies adopt policies that would restrict or forbid the use of smartphones by students on campuses before July 1, 2026. More than that, schools would be compelled to revisit the policy every five years for its revision so that it keeps getting updated in response to rapidly changing technology.
Governor Newsom, in a statement about the law, explained how high the need was for interference. “We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues-but we have the power to intervene,” he said. “This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them-not their screens-when they’re in school.” Advocates of the bill say it would result in a healthier learning environment, where students are more engaged with their colleagues and instructors move to restrict the use of smartphones is viewed as one of the precautionary ways to help avert the technology mental health crisis most adolescents face today.
While the law is designed to protect students, many critics say thoughtful implementation will be needed so as not to impose undue stress or resistance on children who have always known constant connectivity. Schools should adopt ways of teaching their students responsible use of smartphones and thus allow for a balanced approach to technology in everyday living.
With California joining the list of states taking concrete action on the technology mental health issue of restricting smartphone use in schools, ripples of this law might spill well outside the state’s borders and help shape similar legislation elsewhere. This puts a point of focus on mental health and academic success as reasons for continued conversation about the role of technology mental health in education and student wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
This means a huge step forward in attempting to find solutions to the technology mental health problems that have arisen from excessive use of smartphones by students. California puts mental health and academic performance first, thus setting the pace for others to follow.
The test, however, lies in the implementation and the ability of schools to live up to such changes effectively. There needs to be a balance between technology and more conventional learning in order to clearly pave the way toward an educational environment that caters to helping students thrive academically and emotionally. As the issue at hand evolves, further discussion between educators, parents, and policymakers will be necessary to ensure that the needs of the students are met in an increasingly digital world.
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