The ban applies to kindergarten through grade 12 and will also limit other “internet-enabled personal devices”, such as smartwatches. State officials said the ban will not apply to basic cell phones that lack internet access.
New York will join about a dozen other states, including California, Florida, Louisiana and Virginia, which have relocated in recent years to require regional restrictions on telephone use, although policies vary. Some states only prohibit the use of equipment during class. Others ordered regions to establish their own restrictions.
Anxiety over the consequences of “always online” youth culture, the campaign of both parties to crack down on mobile phones has been promoted. Today, about 90% of teenagers have smartphones. Nearly one-third of children have smartphones.
These bans come when policymakers are looking for solutions to depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents over the past decade. US surgeons warned last year that social media addiction could be part of the crisis, especially for young girls, although the research on the issue is subtle and mixed. In New York, Hawkel said she has begun to consider restrictions after listening to students’ stories about the negative effects of social media. The school smartphone ban is widely popular and supported among nonprofit children’s advocacy groups and teachers’ unions in New York City. According to a poll by the Siena College Research Institute, more than 60% of voters, including most Democrats, Republicans and independents, support the state ban.
Regions are expected to develop plans to limit phone use before the start of the next school year. State officials said the state announced the ban as part of its $254 billion preliminary budget deal, and the state will also provide about $13 million to areas in need of help buying storage for equipment.
Hochul believes the bell-to-beat approach is far further than the restrictions in many other states, and compares the move with previous national efforts to protect children from harms such as cigarettes, alcohol and drunk driving.
“Now, we are protecting them from addictive technologies designed to hijack their attention,” the governor said on Monday. “The cell phone drags too many kids into dark places.”
The rise of smartphones and social media presents new challenges for teachers: students sometimes make Tiktok videos in cafeterias, browse Instagram in bathroom stalls, and browse wild texts from parents in class. A large number of students face bullying or harassment online, investigating performances, and these virtual conflicts could seep into the school.
State officials said Hawkel’s plan directs schools to provide parents with a way to contact their children when needed and allows for “common sense exemptions” of the ban, including children who use telephones for translation or students with disabilities who may require equipment for medical reasons.
Many schools across the state have restricted the use of mobile phones in some form. In New York City, some middle schools require kids to keep their phones in a bear next to the classroom. High schools sometimes distribute locked fabric bags to their phones, which students then keep in their backpacks.
The governor’s announcement follows efforts to limit the use of telephone calls in all New York City schools. The former school prime minister David C. Banks is preparing to announce the ban last summer but is asked to be lifted when he disagrees with Mayor Eric Adams.
For years, New York City students have been banned from bringing their phones to school, but a decade ago the rule was turned upside down, partly because of concerns that students commuting long distances by train and buses need access to their phones for safety reasons.
Today, critics worry that taking students off their phones could hurt those who perform their job or babysitter for their young siblings. Some parents are worried about not being able to get to their children quickly during a crisis, such as shooting in school. A group of principals believe that details of the ban (such as whether to allow phone calls at lunch) should be left to the school.
The New York Civil Liberties Union said it was concerned that the move would put “increased risk of police searches and surveillance” and suggested that investing in private counseling and medical services would help promote mental health.
Hochul had previously said schools would be required to report on the rollout of the ban, including any differences in law enforcement.
There are many supporters in the restrictions. The state teachers’ league president Melinda said the bell to Bell’s policy would prevent students from “counting out the moments of class in the past.”
Many school leaders who ban mobile phone use have reported benefits such as students attending classes. However, the State Review shows mixed results related to behavioral issues and scholars.
Educators and students point out that smartphones are not always a source of distraction in the classroom.
Research shows that computer usage in the classroom can have a negative impact on learning, which teachers say may make students’ attention more difficult. But even in the early days, regionally issued laptops and tablets had become an increasingly common part of school days.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
