Gavin Newsom wants California school districts to restrict student cellphone use
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NEWSOM CALLS ON SCHOOLS TO RESTRICT CELLPHONES
Does your child take a cellphone to school? They should stow it while in class, writes California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a letter to school districts urging them to enact policies to restrict cellphone use at schools.
Newsom referenced the 2019 state law he signed that granted school districts the authority to regulate cellphone use on their campuses.
“Leveraging the tools of this law, I urge every school district to act now to restrict smartphone use on campus as we begin the new academic year,” Newsom wrote. “The evidence is clear: reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions.”
The governor cited positive results at school districts in Fresno and Santa Barbara, which enacted such policies. He describe “some reporting higher test scores, grades, and student engagement, and less bullying and damage to school facilities.”
“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning, and growth. Working together, educators, administrators, and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media,” Newsom wrote.
JAMES STEYER URGES APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR TO SUPPORT BILL
James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit which advocates for laws aimed at protecting children from harmful media, has written a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Anna Caballero, D-Merced, urging her to support AB 3172. It’s a the bill by Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, to make social media platforms liable for civil damages if they fail to exercise care to protect children from harmful influences.
AB 3172 currently sits in the committee’s suspense file, while members weigh the fiscal impact that it will have on the state.
The bill is opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce, the tech industry-funded Chamber of Progress, and digital civil rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
It is supported by the California Teachers Association, the California School Boards Association and the Jewish Public Affairs Committee.
In his letter to Caballero, Steyer wrote that “the link between the manipulative features of social media platforms and the escalation of mental health issues among our youth — such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and access to illegal substances online — is well-documented and alarming, and yet there are few if any guardrails on social media companies to protect minors.”
Steyer wrote that the bill “entails minimal initial costs” and that damages from the lawsuits against the tech industry “will exceed those expenses exponentially.”
“More importantly, this legislation challenges the alarming trend of social media companies prioritizing profit over the well-being of our children,” Steyer wrote.
Steyer accused the bill’s opponents of launching a “disinformation campaign” against the bill, “making misleading claims about its implications and scope.”
“It is vital to clarify that this bill does not introduce onerous regulations on Big Tech — it doesn’t change existing negligence law, except to add these statutory damages. This bill seeks to ensure that social media companies do not profit from practices that harm our youth,” he wrote.
The bill’s fate, along with those of hundreds of other pieces of legislation, will be determined by the committee Thursday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’m going to say it again as clearly as I can: I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ vice presidential nominee, speaking at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Convention in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where he discussed Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s attack on Walz’s military service record.
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This story was originally published August 14, 2024 at 4:55 AM with the headline "Gavin Newsom wants California school districts to restrict student cellphone use."