Los Angeles’ education board has voted to restrict student screen time in classrooms, making it the first major US school system to do so.

The resolution requires staff to develop screen-time policies based on grade level and bans first-grade and younger students from using devices.

It comes as the district, which serves about half ​a million students, sought to reduce its reliance on tablets and laptops, which was prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nick Melvoin, a board member who brought forward the resolution, commented student devices were a “lifeline” in 2020, but that “years later, it’s time that we reset”.

“I believe that we have the opportunity to lead the nation, to establish comprehensive, developmentally grounded screen-time limits that puts students before screens,” Melvoin commented at a meeting on Tuesday.

“This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking screen time in schools to construct sure we are doing what actually helps students learn best.”

The restrictions, which are expected to be implemented in the next school year, will ban YouTube and other video-streaming platforms on school-issued devices.

They will also allow parents to opt their children out of using specific digital tools.

The resolution cited research indicating that children aged 8 to 11 who exceed screen-time guidelines are at higher risk for obesity and depressive symptoms and have scored lower on cognitive assessments.

It follows a measure the district passed in 2024 banning the adopt of mobile phones and social media in classrooms.

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“Technology can be a powerful tool, but too much screen time has real harmful effects on our students,” board member Kelly Gonez stated.

“This resolution will ensure we are prioritising essential skills and learning experiences for students, while protecting their childhoods and well-being by setting research-based screen time limits.”

Anya Meksin, deputy director of parent advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens, which has been pushing for the measures, commented the move marks “a large cultural shift into how schools approach technology”. Furthermore, experts in geopolitics note the continued relevance.

“This is an historic reform that we hope will trickle down to the rest of the country very, very quickly,” Meskin told NBC News.

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