Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Implements Cellphone and Social Media Ban for K-12 Students

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Written By Angela Angela

 

 

 

 

 

The second-largest school district in the country has decided that students from kindergarten to 12th grade can’t use cellphones or social media during school hours. This decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) comes after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy called for warning labels on social media, similar to those on cigarette packs.

The LAUSD board voted 5 to 2 in favor of the ban. Jessica Quindel, a math teacher at Venice High School, supported the ban, saying that managing students’ cellphone use is a constant struggle for teachers.

The district now has to create updated policies within 120 days, which would prohibit cellphone and social media use by the spring semester of the 2024-2025 school year. They are considering options like locked pouches or cellphone lockers to enforce this policy.

This move is in response to concerns raised by medical experts, parents, teachers, and administrators about the negative impact of social media on young people’s mental health. Dr. Murthy emphasized the need for a warning label on social media platforms to raise awareness and change behavior, similar to the labels on tobacco products.

LAUSD is not the first district to implement such a ban; others, like the Manchester Public School District in Connecticut, already require students to lock up their cellphones during the school day.

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