Cell Phone Ban Considered for New York City Public Schools

Chancellor David Banks said he is giving strong consideration to a cellphone ban for New York City public schools for the coming school year. In this January 2022 file photo, Banks speaks in front of PS 60 in Graniteville. A cell phone ban for New York City public schools could be implemented for the coming school year, Chancellor David Banks said during an interview with ABC News on Sunday. Banks told ABC's Bill Ritter that he's thinking about the issue 'very seriously' and has been engaging with parents, teachers, and even students on the subject.

'I will tell you overwhelmingly that we have seen these phones as a real distraction in schools,' Banks said. 'During the school day I don't see any real good use for kids having phones, and we think it's contributed to lots of negative behavior.' Banks went on to say that he believes it to be a societal issue that children are addicted to phones and believes that putting phones in the hands of young children with developing brains creates a 'complete dependency.' 'There was a time when if there was an emergency, you'd call the school,' Banks said. 'We have parents who text their children all day, every day. That's completely irresponsible; your kids should be in class; they should be learning; they should be focused on their schoolwork.' Banks told of a recent meeting he had with a principal who said incidents in her school have dropped 48% because students aren't able to use the phones to arrange confrontations after school hours. 'We're taking a very strong look at this, and we'll have something to say very soon,' Banks said.

Back in May, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she's considering a ban on smartphones in schools as several state officials aim to keep children safe online from social media platforms and their impact on youth mental health, according to a report. Hochul said she plans to introduce a bill later this year that would ban smartphones in schools. If passed, it means kids would be allowed to carry cell phones -- not smartphones -- that can't access the internet but can send text messages. 'I'm saying, leave our kids alone,' said Hochul during an MSNBC interview.

'Let them socialize. They can talk to their friends, but stop doing this. Stop selling our kids personal data for your financial gain. And also, parents should be able to turn it off at midnight, let the kids get some rest till 6 a.m. because otherwise, they're going to this place all night long and they're exhausted.' Many experts around the world say smartphones pose a danger to children's mental health but does banning phones help? Los Angeles has joined a growing list of United States school districts, states, and cities restricting the use of smartphones in public schools amid a debate over the effects of social media and technology on children and young people.

Last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board, which is responsible for about 1,000 schools, approved a resolution to develop a policy to ban student use of cellphones and social media platforms within 120 days. The policy itself would not be implemented until 2025, however. California passed legislation in 2019 that allows school districts to restrict smartphone usage during school hours with the exception of emergencies. 'When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies, not their screens,' California Governor Gavin Newsom said on June 19. Last week, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, similar to the health warnings that appear on tobacco and alcohol products.

'Social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general's warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,' Murthy wrote in The New York Times. The states of Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Florida have already imposed statewide restrictions on the use of smartphones in public schools. The Indiana Senate Bill 185, which bans students from using a device during school teaching hours, was signed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb in March and took effect on July 1. Last month, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio signed House Bill 250, requiring school districts to limit smartphone use in classrooms to reduce distractions.

The bill leaves it up to local school administrators to create their own smartphone bans. Exceptions will be made for health or medical emergencies. 'By limiting these distractions, we will reestablish the opportunity for students across Ohio to immerse themselves in their classwork, learn from their teachers, and create lifelong memories with their closest friends,' DeWine said in a statement. In February, the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee also decided to impose a ban restricting the use of smartphones in schools. Under Senate Bill 1314, students are banned from using smartphones while on public school campuses.

'Being normal kids, like kids were prior to social media, is important. The social media (causes) more problems than it solves, and I think it causes more harm than good,' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in May last year after passing a law banning smartphones and other wireless devices in schools during teaching hours. Similar to the Ohio smartphone ban, local school districts can decide how they want to implement it. 'So, let's have our education system be as much about traditional education as we can,' DeSantis stated at the time. The Florida law also blocks students' access to Wi-Fi and requires that social media literacy be taught in schools.

Although there is no statewide ban in Michigan, some school districts have prohibited smartphone use in schools. In January, the Flint Board of Education implemented a phone ban in school buildings and on school buses. Last month, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said she intends to pursue a statewide ban on phones in schools from 2025 to protect young people's mental health. New York City previously imposed a ban but dropped it in 2015, leaving it up to schools to decide for themselves. In a recent interview with a local news station, David Banks, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools, stated: 'They're not just a distraction, kids are fully addicted now to phones ...

We're going to ban the use of phones in schools.'