LAUSD Considers Prohibition Of Smartphone Use For 429,000 Students

LAUSD will consider a ban on smartphone use for 429,000 students (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) on Tuesday 18 June will consider a ban on smartphone use for 429,000 students in an effort to protect the generation of children from disturbances and social media that damages learning and mental health.

This proposal was formulated before US General Surgeon Vivek Murthy, on Monday 17 June calling for a warning label on social media platforms, similar to the one in cigarette packs, as he considered it a mental health emergency.

The second-largest school district council in the United States is scheduled to vote on a proposal to within 120 days develop a policy that will ban the student's use of mobile phones and social media platforms and implement in January 2025.

Schools in LA will consider whether the phone should be stored in a bag or locker during school hours, according to a meeting agenda, and what exceptions should be given to students with study or physical disabilities.

Nick Melvoin, a board member and former high school teacher who proposed the resolution, said the phone was already a problem when he left class in 2011, and since then the constantly deteriorating text and likes.

"This is a moment whose time has come. When I talk to teachers, administrators, and parents, this is one of the main concerns," Melvoin said.

If approved, Los Angeles will join a number of small school districts that prohibit access to cell phones or social media. Florida, with about 2.8 million public school students, last year passed legislation requiring school districts to prevent student access to social media. Several other states have introduced similar laws.

Although research on mental health risks is still incomplete, general surgeons say this emergency is so real that it requires action.

He cited a study from JAMA showing teens spending more than three hours a day on social media may be at higher risk of mental illness, while also referring to Gallup's poll which shows teenagers spending 4.8 hours per day on social media.

The LA school district cites another evidence that cell phone addiction is related to increasing levels of anxiety and bullying in cyberspace.