LAUSD Advances Effort To Limit Students' Screen Time

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education directed its staff Tuesday to develop a policy aimed at limiting students' use of electronic screens during the school day — including banning screens for students prior to second grade.

The board approved a resolution brought forward by member Nick Melvoin, who cited studies that have found negative impacts associated with excessive screen time by youth, including anxiety, depression, vision problems, addictive behaviors and poor educational performance.

Introducing the resolution to the board Tuesday, Melvoin acknowledged that the proposal appears to be a reversal of policy for the district, which relied heavily on laptops and other electronic devices to maintain learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was the way to education kids during the pandemic," he said. "But years later, it's time that we reset."

He added, "We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. It is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time and screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best. I think this is really about recalibrating, resetting and reassessing our relationship with screens over the last five or six years."

The resolution calls for the development of screen-time restrictions to be implemented in the 2026-27 school year, with time limits tailored for each grade level, and subject matter. It recommends eliminating digital devices for students through first grade, and prohibiting their use for elementary and middle school students "during passing periods, lunch and recess." It also calls for the use of "laptop carts and/or computer labs for second through fifth grade, while reducing the use of one-to-one devices."

It also calls to ban access to YouTube and other video-streaming platforms on district devices, along with gaming platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite.

The resolution also calls for the district to develop a system "for reducing and monitoring student screen time — including systematic coordination among teachers — to prevent excessive cumulative screen time."

The resolution had strong support from other board members and a host of parents and other activists who attended Tuesday's board meeting to back the measure.

Board member Karla Griego thanked the parents and other supporters for pushing the board to act on the issue.

"This is an example of democratic processes, when communities who are experiencing the policies that are in place ... tell us we need to do something else," Griego said.

City News Service