California becomes 15th US state to limit smartphones in schools

US state of California has passed a bill that mandates schools to limit or ban the use of smartphones. According to news agency Reuters, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Monday. The California law is part of a growing statewide push to limit phone use by children in classrooms. In the past one year, more than a dozen states have enacted similar restrictions.These include Louisiana, Indiana, and Florida, among others.
In a statement, Newsom said “We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues - but we have the power to intervene. 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".

Called the Phone-Free Schools Act, the law requires schools boards and other governing bodies to develop a policy to limit or prohibit student use of smartphones on campus by July 1, 2026. As per the law, they will be required to update the policy every five years.
California has about 5.9 million public school students. It has followed the lead of its own Los Angeles County, whose school board banned smartphones for its 429,000 students in June this year.

With the new law, California becomes the fifteenth state to ban or restrict smartphones in schools. According to Education Week, fourteen other states have already banned or restricted cellphones in school or recommended local educators do so. These include