Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced support for imposing restrictions on cell phone use in schools. This came after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy called on social media platforms to inform users about their impacts on youth mental health. Townhall has covered how platforms like Instagram have caused young girls, specifically, to compare themselves to others, resulting in poor self-esteem.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order on Tuesday calling for policies to restrict cell phone use in public schools.
Under the order, the state Department of Education will create guidance for school districts to develop policies for a “phone-free” education environment, according to The Washington Post. The order is not a ban on phone use at schools, but a limit to the amount of time kids spend on phones without parental supervision.
“This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cellphone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia’s K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators,” Youngkin said in a statement.
“Today’s Executive Order both establishes the clear goal to protect the health and safety of our students by limiting the amount of time they are exposed to addictive cell phones and social media and eliminates clear distractions in the classroom. It also kicks off the robust conversations among parents, students, teachers, and school and community leaders necessary to design and implement these policies and procedures at the local level,” he added.
We’re establishing cell phone-free education in schools benefiting students, parents and educators across Virginia. This essential action will promote a healthier educational environment where every child is free to learn. https://t.co/A6CA7htBt1
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) July 9, 2024
“Cell phones and digital media have caused pre-teens and teens to disconnect from the real world, have increased mental health challenges, and have caused significant disruption in the important daily learning opportunities in their classrooms,” said Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “Parents and teachers understand the importance of creating cell phone-free education in our schools so that students can focus on instruction and learning during the school day. We look forward to facilitating conversations around the danger to our children of cell phones, social media, and the impact of screen time and will focus on creating guidance that protects the health and safety of our students.”
Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill that will prohibit children under age 14 from having social media accounts, which Townhall covered. The bill, H.B. 3, also directs social media platforms to delete the existing accounts of those who are under 14 years of age. Companies that do not abide by this can be sued on behalf of the child who creates an account. The legislation is meant to go into effect next year.
“The internet has become a dark alley for our children where predators target them and dangerous social media leads to higher rates of depression, self-harm, and even suicide,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said. “I am proud of the work of all our bill sponsors, Representatives Tyler Sirois, Fiona McFarland, Michele Rayner, Chase Tramont, and Toby Overdorf for delivering a legislative framework that prioritizes keeping our children safe. Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ signature, Florida leads the way in protecting children online as states across the country fight to address these dangers.”