California Governor Gavin Newsom announced this Tuesday that he wants to restrict the use of smartphones for students during the school day, citing the risks that social networks represent for mental health.
The announcement, first reported by Politico, comes a day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels about social media platforms and their impact on young people. Newsom said he plans to build on a law he signed in 2019 that authorized school districts to limit or ban cellphone use by students while at school or under the supervision of a school employee.
“As the public health director stated, social media is harming the mental health of our young people,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Congress to restrict smartphone use during the school day. When children and adolescents are at school, they should be focused on their studies, not on their screens.”
The announcement, first reported by Politico, comes a day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels about social media platforms and their impact on young people. Newsom said he plans to build on a law he signed in 2019 that authorized school districts to limit or ban cellphone use by students while at school or under the supervision of a school employee.
“As the public health director stated, social media is harming the mental health of our young people,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Congress to restrict smartphone use during the school day. When children and adolescents are at school, they should be focused on their studies, not on their screens.”
Newsom's office did not provide further details on the proposal, which comes amid a growing debate across the country about how to address the impact of social media and smartphone use, especially on young people. Some teens have vowed to stay off social media to improve their mental health and focus on schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the most restrictive bans in the country on the use of social networks by minors a few months ago. The New York state legislature this month passed a bill that would allow parents to block their children from receiving social media posts suggested by the platform's algorithm.
It should be remembered that on April 24, US President Joe Biden enacted a law that cornered the social network TikTok in the United States by forcing its parent company, the Chinese company ByteDance, to sell it or face being banned in the country.
The law includes a provision that gives ByteDance nine months to find an investor from a country not considered an adversary of Washington to sell operations in the United States, otherwise it will have to stop operating in the country.
The text gives the president the power to extend that period by another 90 days, meaning that according to the law, TikTok would have a maximum of one year to pass into friendly hands.
In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed one of the most restrictive bans in the country on the use of social networks by minors a few months ago. The New York state legislature this month passed a bill that would allow parents to block their children from receiving social media posts suggested by the platform's algorithm.
It should be remembered that on April 24, US President Joe Biden enacted a law that cornered the social network TikTok in the United States by forcing its parent company, the Chinese company ByteDance, to sell it or face being banned in the country.
The law includes a provision that gives ByteDance nine months to find an investor from a country not considered an adversary of Washington to sell operations in the United States, otherwise it will have to stop operating in the country.
The text gives the president the power to extend that period by another 90 days, meaning that according to the law, TikTok would have a maximum of one year to pass into friendly hands.