California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday that he intends to restrict the use of phones in schools following Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s warning about the mental health risks associated with social media.

“As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth,” the governor said in a statement on June 18.

Mr. Newsom said that he will work with the California legislature to restrict smartphone use during the school day, citing a bill he signed in 2019 that allows school districts to limit students’ smartphone use.

“When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies—not their screens,” Mr. Newsom stated.

The bill, AB272, grants school districts the authority to limit or ban the use of smartphones in schools, with exceptions for emergencies or in response to “a perceived threat of danger.”


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