The threat of smartphone addiction is finally being taken seriously, as many foreign countries have decided to ban smartphones on the school campus. In a significant move, California to ban smartphones on school campuses was highlighted when Governor Gavin Newsom passed a bill on Monday that limits or bans the use of smartphones in school. The bill came amid the light of the recent revelation that accuses smartphone usage of increasing the risk of mental illness and impaired learning.

The unobjectionable bill passed 76-0 in the state assembly and 38-1 in the Senate. It will be implemented on the school campuses by July 1, 2026. The school board is required to develop a policy that prohibits the use of phones on the school campus.

California to ban Smartphones
Image Source: Gizmochina

13 states banned phones in school this year.

According to Education Week's report, as many as thirteen other states have implemented a restriction on cellphones in school, following the footsteps of Florida, which banned phones in class last year.

Earlier this year in June, California implemented the ban at the county level for 429,000 students in Los Angeles; now the state is planning to expand it for its 5.9 million public school students statewide.

Social media platforms with warning labels?

Following the LA ban, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy suggested that a warning label should be embedded on social media platforms, the same as the cigarette packages, listing the problem as a mental health emergency.

Citing a study in the medical journal JAMA, Murthy highlighted that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media may be at heightened risk of mental illness. He further referred to a Gallup poll, which indicated that the average teen spends 4.8 hours per day on social media.

While Newsom, in a statement, said, "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 their screens, when they're in school."

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