Growing Number of Schools in California Require Students to Lock Away Phones

Many California schools are looking at Banning smartphones while in school, and it may soon become a law in California in 2025. What are the main reasons that are driving this trend, and what have been the experiences of schools that have already been implementing a strict no-device policy?

“Teachers had no standing like to confront this, and so it constantly was a battle. They could not teach all these lessons they were planning they were not getting through during the day because cell phone distractions were a major issue,” says Trisha Lancaster, founder of SOAR Charter Academy.

Siyamak sits down with Marc Berkman, CEO and founder of the Organization for Social Media Safety; Trisha Lancaster, founder of SOAR Charter Academy; and Assemblymember Josh Hoover.

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