Cellphone bans spread in U.S. schools amid growing mental health concerns

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Students returning to school in a growing number of U.S. states and districts are facing tight restrictions and outright bans on cellphone use as evidence mounts of the damaging impact persistent connection to the internet has on teenagers, reported The Washington Post on Tuesday.

In Los Angeles, the second-largest district in the country, the school board voted in June to ban cellphone use. In Clark County, Nevada, the district will require students in middle and high schools to store phones in pouches during the day, starting this fall, according to the report.

Several states, including Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida, have enacted legislation limiting cellphone access during the school year. And governors in at least three other states, including Virginia, have called on schools to restrict or ban the devices. Other states have provided funding to support restrictive policies.

Of the nation's 20 largest school districts, at least 7 forbid use of cellphones during the school day or plan to do so, while at least another 7 impose significant restrictions, such as barring use during class time but permitting phones during lunch or when students are between classes, said the report.

"Pressure on school leaders has come from teachers and parents who see cellphones as a distraction, an impediment to learning and a constant toll on students' mental health," it noted.