The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) approved a cell phone ban for students within their district, and many students and parents are displeased with it.

LAUSD became the largest school district to approve the cell phone ban during the school day in June for the 2024-25 school year and onward. Initially, many people saw only the benefits of a cell phone ban during the school day, because it could potentially increase productivity and focus and discourage the codependence on internet use for students. However, now that the year has started, many students, parents, and teachers alike have begun to be disheartened by the ban.

Taking into consideration the school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, it becomes apparent why people are becoming less and less likely to oppose the ban. Lockdowns and threats on campus are incredibly scary, and not being able to send messages to relatives and loved ones only amplifies the fear. Many parents argue that without the cell phone ban, their children would have been able to send last messages to them before passing away.

Additionally, people are arguing that the cell phone ban isn’t actually combatting students’ cell phone use and not necessarily improving their productivity but instead it is restricting their freedoms. Students want the freedom to be on their cell phones during school hours outside of class, and not having that freedom leads to unrest in student life. 

Despite different LAUSD schools managing the cell phone ban differently, there is still discomfort with this total limit of cell phone use during the school day. In turn, widespread apprehension has spread concerning the ban among people affected by it. Students are displeased with their limited freedom, and parents are apprehensive about what the cell phone ban could mean in a life-or-death situation for their children.