The proposal was being formulated before U.S. Surgeon General
Vivek Murthy on Monday called for a warning label on social
media platforms, akin to those on cigarette packages, due to
what he considers a mental health emergency.
The board of the second-largest school district in the United
States is scheduled to vote on a proposal to within 120 days
develop a policy that would prohibit student use of cellphones
and social media platforms and be in place by January 2025.
The L.A. schools will consider whether phones should be stored
in pouches or lockers during school hours, according to the
meeting's agenda, and what exceptions should be made for
students with learning or physical disabilities.
Nick Melvoin, a board member and former middle school teacher
who proposed the resolution, said cell phones were already a
problem when he left the classroom in 2011, and since then the
constant texting and liking has grown far worse.
"It's a moment whose time has come. When I talk to teachers and
administrators and parents, it's one of the number one
concerns," said Melvoin.
If approved, Los Angeles would join a number of smaller school
districts to ban access to phones or social media. Florida, with
some 2.8 million public school students, last year passed a law
requiring school districts to prevent student access to social
media. Several other states have introduced similar legislation.
While the research on mental health risks remains incomplete,
the surgeon general said the emergency was so apparent as to
demand action.
He cited a JAMA study showing adolescents who spend more than
three hours a day on social media may be at heightened risk of
mental illness, while also referring to a Gallup poll showing
the average teen spends 4.8 hours per day on social media.
The L.A. school district cited other evidence that cellphone
addiction was linked to soaring rates of anxiety and
cyberbullying.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Donna Bryson and Stephen
Coates)
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