One day after the Surgeon General warned about the perils of social media and smart phones for kids, Governor Newsom wants to curb their use at schools.
The governor wants California to pass a law restricting phone use by students, in time for the new school year this fall.
This is not a new issue for the governor, but the widespread attention given the U.S. Surgeon General’s Op-Ed in the New York Times yesterday has brought it back to the front burner. Dr. Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media, much like the ones on packs of cigarettes, and likened the need for urgent action to address the pitfalls of social media to the push to require seatbelts and airbags in cars.
He cited studies that show an alarming rise in depression, anxiety and other mental health issues for tweens and teenagers who spend more time on social media, and said kids need more phone-free time, including all day at school, at mealtimes and before bed. That’s prompting Governor Newsom to say it’s time to simply take cell phones out of the schooldays completely, and pass legislation to do just that, although right now it’s not clear if he means an outright ban, or just tighter restrictions.
For more on this, KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising spoke with KCBS insider Doug Sovern.
