No More Phones in School?

Overwhelming our youth today is a pandemic like no other. Even the Government’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes it as a nationwide issue. The culprit? Cell phones. 

Cell phones have been at the forefront of teenagers' lives, with social apps such as instagram, tiktok, snapchat, and youtube taking up a significant amount of time. In a 30 month study, the CDC found that roughly 50% of teenagers ages 12–17 had 4 or more hours of daily screen time, with other studies estimating averages of 8-9 hours each day.  

While many teens find phones and social media a way to decompress, get a laugh, or connect with friends and family, students can be seen using phones during school, specifically class time, which has raised some concerns for productivity and performance. All schools have different rules when it comes to cell phones. Some implement strict policies, while others are more lenient.

In recent months, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new smartphone policy that will go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year, in all public and charter schools throughout New York State. She announced the plan shortly after a statewide listening tour, claiming that “our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling” (Kathy Hochul). Additionally, she declared that in order to have a distraction-free policy that is effective, schools “must focus on the entire school day, rather than solely on time in the classroom.”

The plan includes exemptions for students, who may require a smartphone or similar device for medical conditions, IEP services, or translation. The funding will be provided to individual schools, and each will decide the ways they will individually implement the new policy. According to Governor Hochul, “the budget allocates 13.5 million dollars for pouches, cubbies or other storage devices.”

Some students find this new policy will be beneficial in classrooms. Adil, a senior at the High School for Environmental Studies mentions it’s beneficial “because you would have no distractions.” At his previous school, Adil highlights the strict phone policy their administration practiced. “They would give you…a pouch, like a Yondr pouch. At first they worked, but people would break them and take their phones out, so they made it where [during] your first period, you would put your phone into a ziploc, and they would keep it the whole day. You would get it back at the end of the day, and there would be metal detectors, so you couldn't even sneak your phone in”. Despite the harsh regulations, Adil reveals the positive effects of it. “Academically,” he states, “I had great grades because I had no phone. I had no choice but to do my work…I couldn't just sit there and be on my phone.”

Other students find it’s beneficial to have phones in classes, because it teaches students important life lessons that won’t be enforced later in life. “If you do get distracted with your phone in class, then you have to face the consequences…I think it’s a good skill to learn,” states Nina, a freshman at the High School for Environmental Studies (HSES).

A study from Pew Research Center found that 72% of high school teachers in the U.S feel cell phone’s cause a major distraction problem in classrooms. Ms. Whitaker, a Global teacher at HSES also notes how the phones' effects are “detrimental to people's learning.” She also notes how the solution to this problem isn’t teachers taking student’s phones because “we [teachers] become liable for the phone....Nobody wants the responsibility for that.”

Ms. Del Rosario, a Math teacher at HSES, mentioned her issues with phones in class. “Even if I tell students…put away your phone, it's not enough. 
Some students are just addicted, and they can't seem to put them away.” I don't like to go to the extreme…because…I want you guys to have some type of autonomy, but I do realize that especially [with] students that struggle, I feel like there's an association....I didn't force kids to do it, because you're going to college and you'll see that, you have to know that you should put it away.”

When asking students if they feel phone bans compromise student safety, multiple responded saying “yes” and “without a doubt.” For example, during a lockdown, Julius, a sophomore, noted  his mom “is the type of parent to show up at school if there’s ever an emergency.” If a parent “knows that something is happening but they can’t get in contact with their child, they are going to do something risky and you don’t want that to happen.” Nina, a freshman, also felt the phone bans compromised student safety “There’s that 1% chance that something does happen. That 1% is one too many. There have been so many school shootings lately, and I feel like it’s just making parents more scared about the phone thing,” she stated.

According to the Governors report on the new policy, there have been parents who have expressed concerns of safety during an emergency. However, Hochul argues that “members of law enforcement…have indicated that, in their experience, students may be safer in phone-free settings during an emergency when their attention is solely on following the direction of teachers or administrators trained for an emergency.” 

Overall, the smartphone ban has gained a lot of support from parents and teachers around New York State. Despite some backlash, especially from students, the smartphone ban is likely to have positive outcomes on education, mental health, and creating distraction-free environments.