Under a proposal recently tabled by New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul, students in the state will have to put away their cell phones while in school, and the proposal is coming with a hefty price tag, an estimated $13.5 million in taxpayer funds.
In her budget speech, Hochul said that “By the start of the next school year, every student will be required to disconnect from their devices during school hours bell to bell… That means during class, at lunch, in the hallways, our kids will finally be free from the endless interruptions of social media and all the mental health pressures that come along with it.”
The funds are being earmarked to assist schools across the state to implement their own policies on eliminating smartphone use during school hours, budget documents show.
“Districts will decide how they want to store devices and how they will ensure compliance,” Hochul said. “Of course, there will be exceptions for students who need their devices for medical reasons to assist non-English language speakers and students with learning disabilities.”
Hochul said that teachers struggle to perform their duties when competing with electronic devices for their student’s attention.
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The ban, which still requires legislative approval, would be implemented at the beginning of the next school year and will require all students to disconnect from their phones and other electronic devices while at school.
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Months in the making
The ban has been deliberated on for several months, with proponents of the ban arguing that it would allow students to concentrate better while in school and would improve their mental health.
When announcing the ban Hochul said, “We’re not developing the skills we need because kids are distracted by cellphones.”
The move means New York state would join at least eight other states that have implemented a ban or have restricted cell phone use by students.
Hochul asked, “How hard is it for our teachers to teach algebra or geography when they’re competing with viral dances, messages from friends, and sometimes threats or bullying? How can students focus on the subject at hand with all of that going on?”
Hochul also took aim at the addictive algorithms deployed by social media companies to keep users hooked on their apps, and argued that young users experience bullying and social isolation that could harm their development and mental health.
Ultimately, each school district in the state will decide on how to implement the ban.
Meta public policy manager, Dayna Geldwart, argued that the different types of bans being implemented in different states could be confusing for some parents and that “The challenge is that these social media laws will hold different platforms to different standards across states, creating confusion for parents,” Newsweek reported.
While the proposal still requires legislative approval, Albany appears ready to support it with Assembly Speaker, Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins both stressing the need for students to engage with their school work without distraction.
