Los Angeles Unified to Ban Student Cellphone Use

The ban will take effect in January. Supporters cite the need to address the harmful effects of social media on youth.

High school students sit at a table holding multiple digital devices such as phones and tablets during a class lesson. LBeddoe/Shutterstock

Students in the second-largest school district in the United States are about to lose their cellphones during school hours.

The school district’s board of education on June 18 approved the ban, which was introduced in response to growing concerns about the negative impact of social media on children’s mental health, including increased depression and anxiety, decreased attention spans, and technology addiction.