Roving Teen Reporter: Phone Freedom

Governor Newsom signed the Phone-Free Schools Act, which requires all California school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to create and implement a policy that limits or prohibits students’ smartphone use by July 1, 2026.

While this can be considered a large change that may, to some degree, standardize the varying approaches to smartphone use during the school day across different districts, I don’t see many strong reactions from my peers (nor have one myself), which may be a good thing.

As someone whose phone was collected during most classes anyway, the new act isn’t something totally unheard of. My school had already implemented a new phone policy ahead of the legislation, which might have played a role in mitigating reaction levels from students and a huge alteration that takes time to adjust.

When I enter a classroom, phones are collected in phone caddies — something the school issued for each classroom. The only difference is that now all teachers are supposed to collect phones in phone caddies, as opposed to past years where it varied by classroom, and the decision was largely dependent on each teacher.

Firmly backed up by data displaying correlation between social media (particularly through smartphones) and mental illness among teenagers, such policies and legislation to fully enforce them was only natural and a necessary action.

For me, having my phone collected during class is a relief — I am well aware that my phone, even if it is just sitting there, is a major distraction in a learning environment. From what I have heard, my peers have similar reactions: not only is the new legislation not expected to bring significant change, at least for our community, but they also acknowledge that learning in the presence of smartphones is not the most ideal. While some obviously will dislike their phones being confiscated, I think we all know deep-down that these devices can often be toxic when it comes to academic performance and focus.

However, opinions are different when it comes to the possibility of school districts to entirely ban phones during school days. Some of my peers and myself included, think it would be difficult to carry out a complete ban. Administering teenagers from using their phones (which is already so hard to let go of) would not be the same as enforcing them in lower grade levels. Whether a day when phones will be completely forbidden from schools in California will come, we don’t know, but I think there is a good possibility. A question that should remain in discussion, regardless: are students giving up their phones because they are aware of the reasoning behind this, or just because it’s the rule?