LAUSD board approves resolution to restrict screen time in schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District's board approved a resolution on Tuesday that will require the district to implement policies to restrict student screen time.

This approval comes after years of promoting technology in the classroom, particularly after the pandemic. The resolution drafted by LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin says that while developing skills in technology is critical in the digital world, excessive screen time can also have negative effects.

The resolution included information from the American Academy of Pediatrics that says excessive screen time can lead to vision problems, lower academic achievement, addictive behavior, increased anxiety and depression and reduced attention span.

"It's really about balance," Melvoin said. "It's not about going backwards, it's about recalibrating that relationship and teaching that balance."

The resolution passed unanimously, with the Board President Scott Schmerelson recusing himself from the vote.

The resolution will require the district to create policies which will set screen time guidelines for each grade and subject, prohibit screen time for students in first grade and younger and implement a process where parents can opt their child out of using technology at school.

For months, a parent group called School Beyond Screen began sharing their concerns about the negative effects technology had on their children. During the meeting on Tuesday, several parents and advocates said they support the new era of technology use that the resolution will bring.  

The district has until June to develop a Screen Time Policy, "guided by an overarching vision and mission for appropriate technology use in the classroom–to be presented at the Committee of the Whole and brought to the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District."

The policy must be informed by best practices, research and information from independent experts about screen time usage for each grade level and subject. It must also provide maximum daily and weekly screen time limits for students based on grade level.

The district will be required to provide parents and families with information about the policy before it is implemented, resources on how to combat screen addiction and the importance of digital safety.

"In March of 2020, we sent every kid, basically in America, home with a device as that was the lifeline to continue education," Melvoin said. "But six years later, we have to think about what makes sense."