On April 21, 2026, LAUSD passed a new policy regarding student screen time, a policy that requires students to use Chromebooks less or never and do assignments that are assigned in physical paper. This policy, set for next school year, is in place for students due to distractions by games and watching YouTube videos during class. Not only is it affecting students but teachers who are assigning homework digitally. Teachers must buy certain copies of work with their own resources in order for them to assign it to their students. While this new policy is mainly geared toward the middle school level, students and teachers at South East High School have opinions on the new policy.

Digital art teacher Mr. De Dios revealed that he doesn’t know the full scope of the new policy. 

“I'm assuming that they're doing this because there's a problem maybe for some students and they want to limit it,” he said. “Now I think it's going to cause some problems for some students who use their Chromebook as their main device. Perhaps they don't have a computer at home and the Chromebook is all they have. So those students might have some issues.” 

Math teacher Mr. Jimenez also shared similar concerns. 

“I know I heard of it, but I don't know specifically how much restrictions there's going to be,” he shared. “I know there's stats to back it up. I remember watching a video that happened in court where a man explains how the amount of screen time is affecting our next generations, how there's less creativity and less focus.”

However, English teacher Ms. Anas doesn’t see this new policy as having a major effect on her class. 

“If I needed to comply with that [policy], I have no problem with it,” she explained. “I think it would impact the subjects that are much more technology-centered, and that you need to use online tools for the subject. I think that would make more of an impact. But as an English teacher, it does not impact me as much.” 

Junior Juan Cruz shared his view on the new policy, believing technology has caused students to be less diligent with their efforts on assignments. 

“I think the screen time is a problem due to technology being everything we do in school, meaning students have become more lazier with online assignments than physical copies of assignments.”

Sophomore Joseph Viramontes doesn’t believe that the technology issue is that serious. He actually believes that it has been more beneficial transitioning to digital school work. 

“I think screen time is not a problem because my personal study habit is working on a Chromebook,” he said of his productivity with digital assignments. “I think if it’s on a physical copy it would limit me or others’ time and productivity.”

Freshman Arthur Pendleton feels that limiting his screen time usage would slow his learning and work productivity. 

“The screen time ban on the computer will affect me because I will need to stare at old textbooks and do lots of movements with my hand, making me a lot slower in completing work in class.”

Even though the new policy is not mainly geared towards high schools, this does not rule out the possibility of the policy extending to all grade levels within the district. There might be some enforcement of it at South East next school year, but for the moment, it’s still something both the district and teachers are monitoring. 

“I think we're becoming dependent on it [technology],” Jimenez added. “We use a lot of apps, district apps, that are on the screen the whole time. And like I said, I think there's data to prove that doing some of this stuff on paper is probably better than a screen.”