California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law that requires schools to restrict or ban smartphone use, addressing growing worries about the impact of excessive screen time on students' mental health. This move follows similar actions taken by thirteen other states this year, following Florida's lead in banning phones in classrooms.

The law, which received overwhelming support in both the state assembly and senate, affects nearly 5.9 million public school students in California. It requires school districts to formulate policies limiting smartphone access by July 1, 2026, with updates every five years.

The initiative aligns with recent policies in Los Angeles County, where smartphones were banned for its 429,000 students in June. That same month, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy advocated for warning labels on social media, comparing the situation to a mental health emergency.

Murthy cited a study published in the journal JAMA, which found that adolescents spending over three hours daily on social media face "a heightened risk for mental health problems." This research, involving 6,595 U.S. adolescents, indicated a direct correlation between social media usage and increased rates of internalizing problems.

Newsom emphasized that this law aims to help students focus on academics and social interactions, saying that excessive smartphone use leads to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, and this new law will help students "focus on the world in front of them."

(With input from Reuters)