Daniel Joseph started by playing tunes for his friends at Golden Hill Park through a Bluetooth speaker. A year later, 500 strangers were showing up every Friday to hear him spin — until the city shut him down.

The big picture: Local DJs have been drawing big crowds to neighborhood parks with low-key free pop-ups for a few years now, but city officials put a stop to the social media-boosted gatherings this month when they got too big.

State of play: Joseph went to set up in his usual spot on Aug. 8 and found a park ranger who told him he needed a permit — and insurance, security, portable toilets and hand-washing stations.

• That would run him about $1,600, Joseph calculated, so he put the word out on Instagram and TikTok that his burgeoning weekly hang was dead.

Catch up quick: The Golden Hill parties were similar to the Winyl Club, free Wednesday night events that started in Balboa Park three years ago and moved this summer to Kate Sessions in Pacific Beach.

• Hundreds of young people came to those events to listen to old records, until they were also shut down this month.

Between the lines: Benny Cartwright, a city spokesperson, confirmed that staff stepped in, saying such gatherings require a citywide special event permit to operate.

• He shared a list of common municipal code violations the events may have committed, saying the events, in general, required permits because of the large number of attendees, presence of alcohol and sound amplification.

What they're saying: Joseph recalled trying to argue he was just playing music for friends and couldn't help it if the park's other visitors came to listen — but the rangers noted how he promoted the hang on social media.

• "I shouldn't have promoted it, but man, there was just such a buzz around town," he said. "The guy in a barber chair across from me said, 'Oh, you're the Golden Hill guy!' It became such a cool thing, and really felt like a community."

Yes, but: The Golden Hill event could come back.

• A city official reached out to Joseph to connect him with a grant program that funds community-focused events, as well as a nonprofit that could help with organization, and it got him talking to the right staffers to get the permits he needs.

Spread the word

Cellphones aren't on school supply lists as Gen Alpha heads back to class this fall with administrators tightening bans to combat COVID-era learning loss.

Why it matters: Survey data from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup shared exclusively with Axios shows attitudes toward phones in schools have shifted drastically in the space of a single generation as educators grapple with distractions and teens' wellbeing.

• San Diego Unified's new rules to keep phones off and out of sight during class went into effect this school year.

State of play: Today's middle and high schoolers face stricter phone limits during school hours than older Gen Zers did at the same age, though most schools still allow phones for emergencies.

• Phone bans have gained momentum across state legislatures, and nearly half the country limits their use in the classroom.

By the numbers: 79% of Gen Z adults said they were allowed to use their phones between classes when they were students, compared to just 41% of middle schoolers and 61% of high schoolers now.

Between the lines: Teaching became more difficult when schools shifted from remote to in-person learning, Rainer Kulenkampff, a high school history teacher in Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools, tells Axios.

• "The cellphone use was a major distraction. It disrupted student learning... It impacted their well being," Kulenkampff said. Their behavior changed once they were banned, he said.

Zoom out: About three-fourths of parents said they support restrictions on phone use but favor allowing students to keep the phones in their possession.

What are parents saying

😞 Accidental overdoses in the county declined 21% last year, from 1,203 to 945. (Union-Tribune)

💰 The Board of Supervisors is set to consider Tuesday a plan to tap into the county's reserves to counteract the effect of federal funding cuts on local services. (City News Service)

I got a taste of Island Life Foods this weekend and had to share.

Dig in: The crew was grilling up Hawaiian specialties at the SAMAFEST Philippine cultural arts festival at Balboa Park on Saturday afternoon, and they're regulars at local farmers markets.

Best bites: The Da I.G. plate gives you a little bit of everything.

• Try a classic spam musubi, spicy and shoyu poke, huli huli chicken, pork ribs, tri-tip steak, creamy mac salad and rice, all topped with furikake and a sweet soy sauce drizzle.

Stop by: Find Island Life Foods at the Ocean Beach farmers market on Wednesdays (4pm-8pm) and the Hillcrest farmers market on Sundays (9am-2pm).

Other snacks we tried: The sweet and saucy furikake wings from Good Eatz Kitchen are the crispiest I've had in San Diego, and their pork lumpia (Filipino fried spring rolls) were delicious.

• The ube mochi brick topped with coconut flakes from All Things Ube was a buttery, chewy and sweet little treat.

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San Diego FC clinched a playoff spot with a 0-0 tie against the Portland Timbers on Saturday, strengthening the team's position as one of the top teams in the MLS.

Why it matters: It's a major feat to be this good in an inaugural season, but that's the way we do it in San Diego. Just ask the Wave.

What's next: SDFC heads up the road to face LAFC on Aug. 31 and returns to Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 13 vs. Minnesota for Hispanic Heritage Night.

• There are watch parties at Fairplay and Bluefoot in North Park.