Newsom supports efforts to remove smartphones from California schools

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Tuesday he supports restricting the use of smartphones in the state’s schools, citing potential mental health risks associated with social media.

Newsom said in a statement on Tuesday that he would work with the state Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones in schools, just one day after Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm again about the harms social media can pose to adolescents.

“As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth. Building on legislation I signed in 2019, I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day,” Newsom said.

“When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies — not their screens,” he added. 

Murthy called for a surgeon general’s warning label to be placed on social media platforms in an opinion piece for The New York Times on Monday. He also reiterated his concerns that social media is contributing to the youth mental health crisis and advised parents and schools to create phone-free environments.

Politico first reported Newsom’s decision to support these efforts. Newsom’s statement also came just as the Los Angeles school board voted Tuesday to ban cell phones in classrooms.

The ban in the Los Angeles school district makes it the largest district to approve a ban on cell phones in the classrooms. It follows a growing national trend to ban these devices from schools to curtail the use of them in the classroom.