VOA教育报道2024--California Passed Law to Limit Phone Use in Schools

A new state law will soon require school districts in California to create new rules restricting student smartphone use.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law recently. The legislation makes California the latest state to try to reduce student phone access. Florida, Louisiana, Indiana, and several other states have also passed laws aimed at restricting student phone use at school.

The legislation is aimed at reducing distractions² in the classroom. It is also meant to address the mental health effects that social media can have on children.

Newsom said in a statement, "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."But some critics of such policies worry the rules will make it harder for students to seek help if there is an emergency. Critics also argue that decisions on phone bans should be made by school districts, and not state governments.

The law requires districts to pass rules by July 1, 2026. The rules should limit or ban students from using smartphones on school grounds or while students are under the supervision³ of school employees.

The new law comes after Newsom signed an earlier law in 2019 permitting school districts to restrict student phone access.

In June, Newsom announced plans to seek more legislation. His announcement came after the U.S. surgeon general called on the United States Congress to require written warning on social media platforms describing their effects on young people. Newsom sent letters to districts in August, urging them to limit student device use in school.

Assembly member Josh Hoover represents the city of Folsom. Hoover introduced the bill with a group of lawmakers. Phones are restricted where Hoover's children attend school. He said many of the students do not always like the policy. He said that is in part a sign of how addictive⁴ phones can be.

Hoover said, "Any time you're talking about interrupting that addiction⁵, it's certainly going to be hard for students sometimes."Some parents have raised concerns that school cellphone bans could cut parents off from their children if there is an emergency, such as a school shooting.

The 2019 law permitting districts to restrict student phone access makes exceptions for emergencies. The new law does not change that. Some supporters of school phone restrictions⁶ say it may be safer to have phones off in an active shooter situation.

ShaKenya Edison is assistant superintendent⁷ with the Santa Barbara Unified⁸ School District. The district put in place a ban on student phone use in class during the 2023 to 2024 school year. She said teachers have noted⁹ that their students are paying closer attention in class since the start of the ban.

Tarik McFall is principal of Sutter Middle School in Folsom. He said that before his school's cellphone ban, students recorded fights, filmed TikTok videos and spent lunchtime looking at their phones.

The ban has "totally changed the culture" of the school, he said. Now, students spend more time talking to one another. "To have them put away, to have them power off...it has been a great thing," McFall said.

Words in This Story

access -v. to get or use something

distraction¹ -n. something that is unimportant that takes attention away from something else that is more important

address -v. to deal with in some way

focus -v. to place one's attention on something

academics -n. (pl.) things related to school and learning that are not connected to the real world

platform -n. an online service that provides media material and advertisements and seeks a very large number of users

addictive -adj. causing a strong, harmful need to regularly use something

1 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

2 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

4 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

5 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

8 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。