Los Angeles Unified School District implements new screen time limits

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented a new policy to restrict screen time for its more than 400,000 students. Under the resolution passed this spring, students in first grade and below are prohibited from using screens entirely. Limits for the remainder of elementary school classes are scheduled to begin in November, with middle and high school restrictions following later in the academic year.

Teachers have expressed concerns regarding the rapid rollout and the impact on curriculum. Some educators, such as science teacher Armaghan Khan, noted that technology has previously been essential for conducting experiments when lab budgets are limited.

Pia Sadaqatmal, the district's chief academic officer, acknowledged that the implementation is not flawless and described the current year as a transition period. The district will use software on student devices to track weekly screen time usage, collecting data to inform future policy decisions.