California Governor Gavin Newsom passed legislation in 2019 that allowed schools to prohibit cell phone use, and as of 2024, the state of California has decided that the problem has gotten so bad that they plan to make phones and earbuds completely illegal in schools.
Earlier this week, Governor Newsom signed the bill, requiring schools to develop and put a plan in place to restrict or ban cellphone use by July 1, 2026.
According to NBC San Diego, Newsom was pushing for schools to start the cell phone ban in 2019 but a lot of schools in California stuck to a more slap-on-the-wrist type of approach which was basically “I see you with your phone out put it away.” Starting in 2026, it’s going to be a “If I even see a phone your parents have to come get it” or something close to this because they haven’t specifically said what the punishment would be.
While many people disagree with the cell phone ban, saying it isn’t fair, there are valid reasons why they shouldn’t be out at school. These are some of those reasons, according to Why Edify.
- Distractions: A lot of students find it hard not to click on every message and notification when they feel their phone vibrating in their pockets.
- Cyberbullying: Hurtful messages and rumors can affect the mental health of the victim and cause them to lose interest in trying.
- Academic dishonesty: Having a cell phone in your pocket would only encourage cheating even more.
- Social isolation: Obsessive phone use would encourage students to stop talking to other students, and not asking for help could cause assignments to go unfinished.
- Addiction: Phone addiction can cause students to become dependent on their phones and without it, they wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else.
The name of this infamous cell phone law was Assembly Bill 3216 but is now re-named “Phone Free School Act” and it is set to take effect in California as soon as July 2026. So far, 13 states have set and enforced the new cell phone rules but some are more lenient than others. Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia now have strict policies regarding cell phones but two of these states, Ohio and Indiana, have exceptions for students who use their phones to monitor health issues or for educational purposes only.
As of August 30th, 2024, only three states have issued a statewide restriction on cell phone use. These states are Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The other six states are Arkansas, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Connecticut, and Washington. All of these states either have an incentivized or recommended policy so they’re just saying “You can enforce the no cell phone rule if you choose to” and “You can have them, but have them either turned off or in a locked container.” Some states aren’t going to let cell phones become a problem, but they aren’t going to enforce it as much as states where the policy is required or where statewide restrictions are present.
Granite Hills High School assistant principal Andrew Plyman thinks cell phones should stay put away.
“Phones are distracting, leading to reduced focus and poorer academic performance,” Plyman said. “They may tempt students to cheat or plagiarize. Constant phone use can negatively impact mental and physical health. They can disrupt the learning environment for everyone in the classroom. I agree with cell phones being banned from school. Cell phones have become a significant distraction from the learning that needs to take place. It’s interesting to see how many students don’t have conversations because they are focused on their cell phones and not what is happening around them.”
Granite Hills students have different thoughts about the cell phone ban.
“I don’t think it’s fair to get rid of phones completely,” senior Ricardo Hernandez said. “If they’re using them for games then sure, take them, but if a family emergency comes up, what then?”
Junior Troy Hernandez sides with Ricardo’s opinion.
“Why should I not be able to bring my phone and AirPods to school because they can’t help themselves?” Troy Hernandez said. “It isn’t me doing it.”
Across town, Monache High School senior Manuel Espinoza also doesn’t agree with a cell phone ban.
“To me, the phone ban kinda feels like a blanket restriction because there are a lot of students that don’t use their phones in or during class,” he said.
It looks like the overall student reaction to this new rule is overwhelmingly negative. Students appear to hate this new rule but maybe it will lead to less slacking during class. Maybe students will open their Chromebooks and do some work instead of watching Instagram reels or TikTok videos for the entire class period.
