“When the school board suggests that I eat lunch with my friends, I [used to] text them to find out where they are and to see if they have clubs instead of wandering around campus searching for them daily,” Weeks Manjarres said. “How does the school board expect us to solve that problem? Email? That’s absurd.”
The Phone-Free Schools Act, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in September, will require all California school districts to draft student cellphone policies by July 1, 2026. It’s designed to improve students’ social skills and well-being in a nation concerned with the skyrocketing increase in anxiety and depression. In his letter to school district leaders earlier this month, Newsom urged them to restrict cellphone use immediately.
“We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression and other mental health issues – but we have the power to intervene,” Newsom said in a statement. “This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens when they’re in school.”
In May 2023, Florida became the first state to pass a law banning students from using cellphones during classes. While other states, such as Indiana and Ohio, are debating whether they should follow this ban, students said the ban causes some problems, especially with communication. Weeks Manjarres said the cellphone ban is overkill and will cause “tension and resistance between the students and administration.”
According to a June survey by Pew Research, about 72% of teachers said distraction by cellphones and social media is a significant problem in their classrooms. Though their school or district enforced some policies against cellphones, students still show little to no interest in learning, causing them to implement the ban. Charles Thun, a psychology teacher at Samohi, had a phone cubby in his classroom for a couple of years and believes the ban is good because students have been concentrating more with less distraction during class.
“I just feel like the environment’s better. In the room, there’s just more people focused on class,” Thun said.
Student use of phones leads to a disconnection from one another when it’s allowed, said Morgan Scott Polikoff, USC professor of education.
“I teach college students, and I can tell you that they are frequently on their devices,” Polikoff said. “I went to school not all that long ago. We didn’t even have cellphones, and we did just fine by talking to people face to face.”
Another influence that may have barred or restricted the use of cellphones within schools could well be the emergence of AI. As AI continues to evolve, with tools such as chatbots, virtual assistants, video generators and plagiarism detectors, new challenges arise in how academic districts manage academic integrity and student engagement. Since students can access AI through smartphones, a Pew Research survey said educators find those tools more harmful than good.
Polikoff said conversations about cellphone bans started before AI.
“AI is another layer on top of this [cellphone ban],” Polikoff said. “Speaking as someone who teaches students, I know how it is another important and thorny issue that is made all the more difficult for teachers when you’ve got a device in your pocket that allows you to call it up at any moment.”
While some schools such as Santa Monica High, or “Samohi,” focus on restricting cellphone usage during class, others have banned the complete use of phones by using locks such as Yondr.
Yondr has students place their phones in the pouches and lock them under supervision as soon as they enter campus. They open the bag with a special magnet release after school ends. While this has sparked controversy among schools and students, Thun said Samohi is doing the best option currently.
“I think in class it’s great not to have them, but realistically, in everyday life, you’re gonna have your phone,” Thun said. “Some of you [students] need access to a phone throughout the day, not just in class, but when your parents or an appointment. I think what we’re doing is a good happy medium.”
As the cellphone ban will be enforced by Newsom in all California districts by 2026 and with other states joining in, Weeks Manjarres said tension might rise among students and administration because “they’re not looking at this the right way.”
“I haven’t seen a case when phones hinder people from interacting with each other. In fact, they have helped people interact more,” Weeks Manjarres said. “Oftentimes, people play games together on their phones like Brawl Stars [a multiplayer online battle arena] which has definitely helped people become closer together and interact more.”
Polikoff emphasized the importance of careful planning and evaluation as schools prepare to implement the new legislation.
“The details of how this is implemented will really matter, and I hope that there’s efforts to actually study very carefully what the impact of this and determine whether it solves the problems it’s intended to address,” Polikoff said. “If policymakers are saying this is intended to help reduce bullying and help improve kids’ mental health, we need good research to see whether that’s happening.”
