The Los Angeles school board unanimously approved new restrictions Tuesday on how much time students can spend using screens during classroom instruction, citing mounting health concerns.
Board members voted 6-0 with one abstention to establish the new policy, making Los Angeles Unified among the first major school systems nationwide to implement district-wide screen time limitations organized by grade level.
Board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced the proposal, stated through a representative: “Along with the cellphone ban the L.A. Unified School District passed in 2024, we hope to be a national leader on these matters.”
Supporters of the new policy say it aims to find the right balance between educational technology needs and mounting evidence that too much screen exposure may be damaging students’ ability to focus and develop social skills.
The district educates approximately 500,000 students and has depended extensively on digital devices like laptops and tablets since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed schools toward online learning in 2020.
According to the approved resolution: “While access to and developing skills in technology are critical in a digital world, excessive screen time can be associated with vision problems, increased anxiety and depression, addictive behavior, reduced attention span, difficulty managing emotions, lower academic achievement and weaker cognition according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
The policy references studies showing that children between 8 and 11 years old who use screens beyond recommended amounts face greater obesity risks and perform worse on thinking skills tests.
Rather than immediately removing devices or setting universal time restrictions, the resolution directs district administrators to create grade-specific recommendations with help from teachers, parents and health professionals. Current school-level policies will continue until new guidelines are established.
Some critics warn that any screen time restrictions must be carefully designed to ensure students with disabilities who depend on assistive technology are not negatively affected.
