This week Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act. It requires California schools to create policies limiting student cell phone use on K-12 campuses by July 1, 2026.
The new law addresses concerns over the excessive use of cell phones in schools; cell phones on campus have been blamed for distracting students from learning and increasing the risk of mental health issues.
AB 3216 aims to addresses these concerns and help students stay focused. Ways in which schools could do this include placing phones in locked pouches during class, or placing them in cell phone lockers. Previous legislation allowed school districts to restrict cell phone use, but did not require them to.
USC Rossier School of Education associate professor Stephen Aguilar said he believes the bill can help minimize distractions for students.
“The pros for that are obviously,” he said, “potentially more attention paid to school work. If students don’t have this sort of portal to distraction, it might be helpful, and it will likely sort of help students stay more engaged.”
At the same time, there are concerns about how students would contact loved ones during emergencies.
Professor Morgan Polikoff with the USC Rossier School of Education believes the cell phone ban might pose challenges.
“I think (it) has primarily to do with concerns to the ability to be in touch with students,” Polikoff said, “both in general, but also acutely during times of crisis like school shootings or other incidents like that.”
Aguilar similarly worries about how parents might feel not being able to contact their children.
“Every school and every school district is going to need to respond to, well, okay, parents do have a right to be able to know where their their children are... and expect safety,” he said.
In the meantime, schools will have the next two years to come up with a plan that balances keeping students both safe and focused while in the classroom.
Ella Wallace contributed to this story.