第2463期:California Passed Law to Limit Phone Use in Schools

A new state law will soon require school districts in California to create new rules restricting student smartphone use. 新的州法律很快将要求加州学区制定新规则，限制学生使用智能手机。 California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law recently. The legislation makes California the latest state to try to reduce student phone access. Florida, Louisiana, Indiana, and several other states have also passed laws aimed at restricting student phone use at school. 加利福尼亚州州长加文·纽瑟姆最近签署了该法律。该立法使加州成为最新一个试图减少学生使用手机的州。佛罗里达州、路易斯安那州、印第安纳州和其他几个州也通过了旨在限制学生在学校使用手机的法律。 The legislation is aimed at reducing distractions in the classroom. It is also meant to address the mental health effects that social media can have on children. 该立法旨在减少课堂上的干扰。它还旨在解决社交媒体对儿童心理健康的影响。Newsom said in a statement, “This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school." 纽瑟姆在一份声明中表示，“这项新法律将帮助学生在学校时专注于学业、社会发展和面前的世界，而不是屏幕。” But some critics of such policies worry the rules will make it harder for students to seek help if there is an emergency. Critics also argue that decisions on phone bans should be made by school districts, and not state governments. 但此类政策的一些批评者担心，这些规定将使学生在发生紧急情况时更难寻求帮助。批评者还认为，关于电话禁令的决定应该由学区而不是州政府做出。 The law requires districts to pass rules by July 1, 2026. The rules should limit or ban students from using smartphones on school grounds or while students are under the supervision of school employees. 该法律要求各学区在 2026 年 7 月 1 日之前通过规则。这些规则应限制或禁止学生在校园内或在学校工作人员的监督下使用智能手机。 The new law comes after Newsom signed an earlier law in 2019 permitting school districts to restrict student phone access. 这项新法律是在纽瑟姆于 2019 年签署一项早期法律允许学区限制学生使用手机之后出台的。 In June, Newsom announced plans to seek more legislation. His announcement came after the U.S. surgeon general called on the United States Congress to require written warning on social media platforms describing their effects on young people. Newsom sent letters to districts in August, urging them to limit student device use in school. 六月，纽瑟姆宣布计划寻求更多立法。在他宣布这一消息之前，美国卫生局局长呼吁美国国会要求在社交媒体平台上发出书面警告，描述其对年轻人的影响。纽瑟姆八月份致函各学区，敦促他们限制学生在学校使用设备。 Assembly member Josh Hoover represents the city of Folsom. Hoover introduced the bill with a group of lawmakers. Phones are restricted where Hoover's children attend school. He said many of the students do not always like the policy. He said that is in part a sign of how addictive phones can be. 议会成员乔希·胡佛代表福尔瑟姆市。胡佛与一群立法者一起提出了该法案。胡佛的孩子们上学的地方，电话受到限制。他说许多学生并不总是喜欢这项政策。他说，这在一定程度上表明手机是多么容易让人上瘾。 Hoover said, "Any time you're talking about interrupting that addiction, it's certainly going to be hard for students sometimes." 胡佛说：“每当你谈论戒掉这种瘾时，有时对学生来说肯定会很困难。” Some parents have raised concerns that school cellphone bans could cut parents off from their children if there is an emergency, such as a school shooting. 一些家长担心，如果发生校园枪击等紧急情况，学校禁止使用手机可能会切断家长与孩子的联系。 The 2019 law permitting districts to restrict student phone access makes exceptions for emergencies. The new law does not change that. Some supporters of school phone restrictions say it may be safer to have phones off in an active shooter situation. 2019 年法律允许学区限制学生使用手机，但紧急情况除外。新法律并没有改变这一点。一些学校电话限制的支持者表示，在发生枪击事件时关闭手机可能更安全。ShaKenya Edison is assistant superintendent with the Santa Barbara Unified School District. The district put in place a ban on student phone use in class during the 2023 to 2024 school year. She said teachers have noted that their students are paying closer attention in class since the start of the ban. 沙肯亚·爱迪生 (ShaKenya Edison) 是圣巴巴拉联合学区的助理学监。该学区在 2023 至 2024 学年禁止学生在课堂上使用手机。她说，老师们注意到，自禁令开始以来，学生们在课堂上更加集中注意力。 Tarik McFall is principal of Sutter Middle School in Folsom. He said that before his school’s cellphone ban, students recorded fights, filmed TikTok videos and spent lunchtime looking at their phones. 塔里克·麦克福尔 (Tarik McFall) 是福尔瑟姆萨特中学的校长。他说，在学校禁止使用手机之前，学生们会录制打架、拍摄 TikTok 视频，并在午餐时间看手机。 The ban has “totally changed the culture” of the school, he said. Now, students spend more time talking to one another. “To have them put away, to have them power off…it has been a great thing,” McFall said. 他说，这项禁令“彻底改变了学校的文化”。现在，学生们花更多的时间互相交谈。“把它们收起来，让它们断电……这是一件很棒的事情，”麦克福尔说。