LA school district approves new screen time limits for students
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, has adopted new guidelines limiting screen time for its students on district-issued devices, following a previously passed district cell phone ban.
According to the new guidelines, which were approved Tuesday, screen time will be banned for students in early education, kindergarten and first grade, with phased implementation beginning in August 2026.
Students in grades two and three will be allotted up to 20 minutes of screen time per day under the updated guidelines, for a maximum of 100 minutes total per week, including homework assignments, with implementation beginning in November 2026.
Grades four and five will be limited to 30 minutes per day under the new policy, or up to 150 minutes per week, including homework, beginning in November 2026.
Grades six through eight will have a maximum limit of 60 minutes of screen time per subject, per week under the new policy, with homework included. Grades nine through 12 have a limit of 90 minutes per subject per week, homework included.
The new policy for grades six and up will begin in January 2027.
"The screen time policy approved yesterday includes eliminating screen time for students in Early Education through 1st grade, reducing screen time across all grade levels, and refining how instructional tools are utilized to better support teaching and learning," a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson told ABC News in a statement Wednesday.
The statement continued, "These changes reflect the District's focus on balancing the use of technology with teacher-led instruction, hands-on learning, and meaningful student engagement. The District will continue to work closely with educators, families, and experts to ensure implementation supports student success while meeting the diverse needs of school communities."
Schools Beyond Screens, a nonprofit geared toward keeping screens out of schools, congratulated the LA school district in a press release on Tuesday.
"This policy is the result of over a year of coordinated and consistent effort from parent volunteers, teachers, and students who have had enough of Big Tech's encroachment into our schools. It acknowledges the overwhelming body of research supporting the limited use of technology for education -- and the potential for harm caused by unrestricted device use," the organization said.
It added, "In addition to re-centering science-backed approaches to learning, this monumental shift to the status quo promises to restore humanity, connection, and the simple pleasures of childhood to hundreds of thousands of LA's public school students."
School board member Nick Melvoin celebrated the policy approval on Facebook, writing in part, "Our work continues to ensure thoughtful classroom technology use, but today was a huge step toward finding that balance and making it a reality for students and families."
The Los Angeles Unified School District previously approved a ban on cellphone and social media use for K-12 students during school days. The ban, approved in June 2024, came one day after then-U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy called for a warning label on social media platforms in a New York Times op-ed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidance in January this year, stating that screen-time limits alone no longer enough to keep kids safe and healthy in an increasingly digital world.
The new guidance specifically warned that low-quality digital use -- mindless scrolling, autoplay videos, frequent notifications and algorithms that push extreme or harmful material -- can be highly stimulating but may lead to issues with sleep, learning, engagement and emotional regulation.
The report also included advice for parents seeking to more effectively manage their child's digital use and called on tech companies and policymakers "to provide strengths-based solutions and promote a more child-centered digital ecosystem."
