Governor Kathy Hochul is getting closer to issuing a statewide ban on smartphones in New York’s schools. She kicked off a statewide listening tour focused on addressing smartphone use in schools.
Hochul will visit school districts across the state over the next few months to listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and expects to announce legislation addressing smartphone use in schools by the end of the year.
“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. “That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools.”
The Governor has focused many of her recent efforts on youth mental health and wellbeing. With students already distracted by friends and the pressures of growing up, the additional challenges presented by having a smartphone in school could be especially problematic for some students – and teachers too.
Many students are still trying to catch up from the pandemic-era learning loss that occurred when schools were forced to close. The temptation of a nearby smartphone is just too much for many students to resist.
After the first listening session at a school near Albany, Hochul said in a press conference “It seems to me that the district-by-district approach does not work.” “And I said, sometimes it’s just easier to blame the governor of the State of New York when you want something done.
“So I don’t anticipate a piecemeal approach will be my approach; I’ll just put that out there,” she added.
Many districts across the state have individually tried to put bans or restrictions on smartphones in place with varying results. In many instances, parents pushed back out of fears that they would not be able to contact their child during the school day or, God forbid if an emergency like a school shooting or a fire broke out.
The State PTA is in Hochul's corner and expected to play a big role in alleviating parent anxiety about a school smartphone ban.
N.Y. PTA Executive Director Kyle Belakopitsky said the association is excited about the governor's initiative.
"We continue to be seriously concerned about cell phone usage in schools and their detrimental effects on learning, classroom activities and student mental health," Belakopitsky said. "We encourage every school to have a meaningful conversation with families, students and educators and a strict policy about when usage is — and is not — appropriate."
If Hochul gets a smartphone ban passed, New York would join five states that have already passed similar legislation – Alabama, Florida, Indians, Ohio, and Virginia
In June, Hochul signed two pieces of legislation designed to create a safer digital environment for New York’s students and young people generally.
The SAFE for Kids Act requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. The Act was the first law of its kind to be signed in any state across the nation and Hochul considers it a hallmark for her legislative year.
The New York Child Data Protection Act was also signed by the Governor and it prohibits online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing, or selling the personal data of anyone under the age of 18.
Contact your local superintendent's office with your views on a potential smartphone ban in schools.