New York will require schools statewide to ban smartphone use during school hours, joining a national movement aimed at preventing compulsive social media use and distractions that interfere with school work, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week.
In more than 700 districts including New York City, school leaders will be required to create plans to store students' smartphones "from bell to bell" and prevent their "unsanctioned use" during class, lunch and other parts of the school day.
The ban, which applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, will also restrict other "internet-enabled personal devices" such as smartwatches. The ban will not apply to basic cellphones that lack internet access, state officials said.
New York will join roughly a dozen other states including California, Florida, Louisiana and Virginia that have moved in recent years to require districts to limit phone use, though the policies vary. Some states have banned devices only during classes; others have ordered districts to create their own restrictions.
The bipartisan movement to crack down on phones has been fueled by anxiety over the consequences of an "always online" youth culture. Today, about 90% of U.S. teenagers own a smartphone, surveys show. Nearly 1 in 3 8-year-olds have a smartphone.
These bans come as policymakers are searching for solutions to soaring rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm among adolescents in the past decade. The U.S. surgeon general in the Biden administration warned last year that the addictive nature of social media could be part of the crisis, especially for young girls, though research on the issue is nuanced and mixed.
In New York, Hochul said that she had begun to consider restrictions after hearing stories from students about the negative effects of social media.
School smartphone bans are broadly popular and backed by nonprofit child advocacy groups and the teachers' unions for the state and New York City. More than 60% of voters -- including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents -- support a state prohibition, according to a poll this month from the Siena College Research Institute.
Districts are expected to create plans to restrict phone use by the start of next school year. The state, which announced the ban as part of its $254 billion preliminary budget deal, will also make roughly $13 million available to those districts that need help buying storage for devices, state officials said.
Hochul has argued that the bell-to-bell approach would be farther reaching than many other states' restrictions, and compared the move to previous national efforts to safeguard children from harms like cigarettes, alcohol and drunken driving.
"Now, we're protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention," the governor said Monday. "Cellphones have dragged too many of our kids into dark places."
The rise of smartphones and social media has brought new challenges for teachers: Students sometimes make TikTok videos in cafeterias, browse Instagram in bathroom stalls and field texts from their parents in class. Significant numbers of students face bullying or harassment online, surveys show, and those virtual conflicts can seep into school.
Hochul's plan directs schools to provide a method for parents to contact their children if needed and to allow "common-sense exemptions" from the ban, including for children using phones for translation or for students with disabilities who might need a device for medical reasons, state officials said.
Many schools across the state already restrict cellphone use in some form. In New York City, some middle schools ask children to place their phones in cubbies at the side of their classrooms. High schools sometimes hand out locked fabric pouches for phones, which students then keep in their backpacks.
The governor's announcement followed a failed effort to restrict phone use in all New York City schools. The former schools chancellor, David C. Banks, was poised to announce a ban last summer, but it was called off amid a disagreement with Mayor Eric Adams.
For years, New York City students had been prohibited from bringing their phones to school, but the rule was reversed a decade ago in part because of concerns that students who commuted long distances by train and bus needed access to their phones for safety reasons.
Today, critics worry that cutting off students from their phones could hurt those with jobs or babysitting duties for younger siblings. Some parents fear being unable to quickly reach their children in a crisis, such as a school shooting. Groups of principals argue that the details of a ban -- such as whether to permit phone use at lunch -- should be left to schools.
The New York Civil Liberties Union expressed concern that the move would place "students at an increased risk of police searches and surveillance," and suggested that investing in private counseling and medical services would do more to boost mental health.
Hochul had previously said that schools would be required to report on the rollout of the ban, including any disparities in enforcement.
The restriction has many backers. Melinda Person, the president of the state teachers' union, said the bell-to-bell policy would stop students from "counting down minutes in each class for a few moments of screen time during passing periods."
Many school leaders who have banned cellphone use have reported benefits such as increased student participation in class. National reviews, though, show mixed results related to behavioral problems and academics.
Educators and students point out that smartphones are not always the source of classroom distraction.
Studies show that computer use in class can negatively affect learning, and teachers say it can make it harder to hold student attention. But even in early grades, district-issued laptops and tablets have become an increasingly common part of the school day.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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The ban, which applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, will also restrict other "internet-enabled personal devices" such as smartwatches. The ban will not apply to basic cellphones that lack internet access, state officials said.
New York will join roughly a dozen other states including California, Florida, Louisiana and Virginia that have moved in recent years to require districts to limit phone use, though the policies vary. Some states have banned devices only during classes; others have ordered districts to create their own restrictions.
The bipartisan movement to crack down on phones has been fueled by anxiety over the consequences of an "always online" youth culture. Today, about 90% of U.S. teenagers own a smartphone, surveys show. Nearly 1 in 3 8-year-olds have a smartphone.
These bans come as policymakers are searching for solutions to soaring rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm among adolescents in the past decade. The U.S. surgeon general in the Biden administration warned last year that the addictive nature of social media could be part of the crisis, especially for young girls, though research on the issue is nuanced and mixed.
In New York, Hochul said that she had begun to consider restrictions after hearing stories from students about the negative effects of social media.
School smartphone bans are broadly popular and backed by nonprofit child advocacy groups and the teachers' unions for the state and New York City. More than 60% of voters -- including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents -- support a state prohibition, according to a poll this month from the Siena College Research Institute.
Districts are expected to create plans to restrict phone use by the start of next school year. The state, which announced the ban as part of its $254 billion preliminary budget deal, will also make roughly $13 million available to those districts that need help buying storage for devices, state officials said.
Hochul has argued that the bell-to-bell approach would be farther reaching than many other states' restrictions, and compared the move to previous national efforts to safeguard children from harms like cigarettes, alcohol and drunken driving.
"Now, we're protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention," the governor said Monday. "Cellphones have dragged too many of our kids into dark places."
The rise of smartphones and social media has brought new challenges for teachers: Students sometimes make TikTok videos in cafeterias, browse Instagram in bathroom stalls and field texts from their parents in class. Significant numbers of students face bullying or harassment online, surveys show, and those virtual conflicts can seep into school.
Hochul's plan directs schools to provide a method for parents to contact their children if needed and to allow "common-sense exemptions" from the ban, including for children using phones for translation or for students with disabilities who might need a device for medical reasons, state officials said.
Many schools across the state already restrict cellphone use in some form. In New York City, some middle schools ask children to place their phones in cubbies at the side of their classrooms. High schools sometimes hand out locked fabric pouches for phones, which students then keep in their backpacks.
The governor's announcement followed a failed effort to restrict phone use in all New York City schools. The former schools chancellor, David C. Banks, was poised to announce a ban last summer, but it was called off amid a disagreement with Mayor Eric Adams.
For years, New York City students had been prohibited from bringing their phones to school, but the rule was reversed a decade ago in part because of concerns that students who commuted long distances by train and bus needed access to their phones for safety reasons.
Today, critics worry that cutting off students from their phones could hurt those with jobs or babysitting duties for younger siblings. Some parents fear being unable to quickly reach their children in a crisis, such as a school shooting. Groups of principals argue that the details of a ban -- such as whether to permit phone use at lunch -- should be left to schools.
The New York Civil Liberties Union expressed concern that the move would place "students at an increased risk of police searches and surveillance," and suggested that investing in private counseling and medical services would do more to boost mental health.
Hochul had previously said that schools would be required to report on the rollout of the ban, including any disparities in enforcement.
The restriction has many backers. Melinda Person, the president of the state teachers' union, said the bell-to-bell policy would stop students from "counting down minutes in each class for a few moments of screen time during passing periods."
Many school leaders who have banned cellphone use have reported benefits such as increased student participation in class. National reviews, though, show mixed results related to behavioral problems and academics.
Educators and students point out that smartphones are not always the source of classroom distraction.
Studies show that computer use in class can negatively affect learning, and teachers say it can make it harder to hold student attention. But even in early grades, district-issued laptops and tablets have become an increasingly common part of the school day.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
