California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act, which requires school districts to limit or pro-habit phone usage during school hours by Jul. 1, 2026, according to the governor’s website. Mental health issues, cyberbullying, interference with education, and low achieving students are cited as reasons for the bill, which was approved on Sept. 24, 2024.
According to the 24-25 MHS Student Handbook, “Electronic communication devices may not be used in class without express permission from a teacher or other staff member.”
In a survey conducted by The Union, out of 545 students, 73% of students disagreed with the act, and 69% believe that phones never cause them to lose focus during class.
Junior Aaron Chiah disagrees with the new law and often uses his phone during school to look at social media and videos, he said.
“I’m forced to use my phone when I think the teacher is boring,” Chiah said. “I pull out (my phone), then okay, ‘Let me check what’s on Instagram,’ and I start scrolling through reels. I’ve be- come such an Instagram ‘fiend’ lately.”
Phones are only needed in school if students have academic games to play or school forms to fill out, Chiah said.
“Phones might be crucial during school hours if we have to do a survey,” Chiah said.
Junior Ryan Truong believes that students should be committed to studying instead of being on their phones, he said.
“I use it (my phone) a few minutes per class,” Truong said. “Other students I’ve seen are using them most of the class. You’ll see kids sitting around, using their phones while the teacher’s lecturing, which adds to the problem.”
Truong adds that students should be more open to socializ- ing and learning than focusing on their phones, he said.
“If you’re at school to learn, and just end up using your phone, does that sound really produc- tive?” Truong said.”
English teacher Sheldon Hentschke acknowledges how phones can be implemented into lessons, but can be distractions as well, he said.
“I don’t mind phones being used before school, at break, during passing period, and lunch,” Hentschke said. “Phones should not be used when class is in session.”
Chinese teacher Kristina Tao, doesn’t find phones to be much of a problem in her class, she said.
“It’s fine (the ban),” Tao said. “It (would) make the class easier to be managed.”
Tao only collects phones before a quiz or test, she said.
“There are teachers that will collect phones before the class, but I think that’s wasting peo- ple’s time,” Tao said. “Because for a lot of students, they don’t have (any) issues with using their phone.”
Junior Minh Lam has a neutral stance on the ban, and believes that students use phones as a distraction instead of a utility that benefits them, he said.
“I mainly use it (my phone) for my ‘To-Do’ lists and my agen- das,” Lam said.
There have been a few instanc- es when his phone has distracted, Lam said.
“The solution is to turn on silent mode or ‘Do not disturb,’” Lam said. “Phones can be dis- tracting, but they can also be your greatest tool.”