California passes a statewide phone ban for schools

By Sidona Yemane

The governor of California has officially signed the Phone Free School Act. The phone-free act is a new law that requires all public schools and charter schools to restrict student phone use during the school day. School districts will have up until July 1st, 2026, to finalize these rules and review their policies. After the districts establish their rules and policies, they must be reviewed every five years.

Why?

Over recent years, phones have become a significant part of teen life, as many teenagers are addicted to their devices. A research poll from Common Sense Media showed that 50% of teens admit to being addicted to their phones, which is clearly a problem interferes with their learning and day-to-day life. The people who support the ban believe that phones are a huge distraction in classrooms and that they can lead to negative consequences such as academic dishonesty, depression, cyberbullying, and anxiety. Many teachers have also spoken up, saying it vastly disrupts learning and makes focusing hard for students. Some students have even spoken in favor of a change, stating that they feel addicted to their phones, checking them dozens of times per class day, causing them to miss important information during class time.

What now?

Many schools all across California are expected to start having meetings with parents, teachers, and students in order to decide how the ban should be implemented in each local area. Furthermore, over the next two years, meetings will be held with staff members and parents in order to communicate the rules that they’ll choose to change and/or implement.

How Will This Work?

Starting in 2026, each district will be able to choose how they want to apply their rules to the. The state is not requiring any particular method on how to go about this, so some schools may choose to require students to lock their phones in pouches or just keep them in their backpacks, or allow phones to be out during learning time; it is dependent on the district. Exceptions can be made for certain timings, such as emergencies or whenever the teacher allows it.