All indications are that in the coming weeks, educational authorities in the Big Apple could publish a guide to prohibit students from using their cell phones while in public schools. An action that would be applied next fall in the largest school district in the country, impacting 900 thousand students.
“We want to make sure we get it right. You’ll hear the big announcement in the next two weeks. We’re leaning very hard toward banning these devices from our schools,” New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks told local media this week.
The city now allows principals to set their own cell phone policies, after a citywide ban was lifted in 2015.
Each school has different rules. In some cases, students are required to keep these devices turned off or in special cartridges during class sessions or exams. But they can use them during recess and other activities.
As education coalitions note, any ban that comes down the road would have to address not only the school-level logistics of collecting or storing cellphones somewhere in the school, but also the concerns of parents, who are often the biggest offenders when contacting children during the school day.
“Before, nobody had cell phones”
Dominican mother Santa González, who has two children in the city’s public school system, believes that 15 years ago, no student had a cell phone and “they performed better, graduated and learned. But now there are many who are like idiots, glued to a screen all day long and don’t pay attention to class or their family. They don’t give importance to human relationships. In fact, I agree that a child should not have these devices.”
In New York last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill requiring social media platforms to disable personalized recommendation systems for minors. Legislation that would ban smartphones on campuses statewide also surfaced.
One of the first reactions to this possible measure came from Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, who urged the City to evaluate the best way to address this problem.
“We need to work on this issue this summer to get a broader view of what works and what doesn’t in schools that already collect cell phones,” the union leader recommended.
Health authorities in the Big Apple have highlighted in various ways this year the harmful effects of social media use on children and adolescents, as well as its clear link to anxiety, depression and suicide.
Question of risk
Likewise, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, based on available research, has a “recipe” that he wants to amplify and make known as widely as possible in all communities: Prevent a child under 14 years of age from being indiscriminately exposed to social media, tablets, or smartphones!
Vasan’s rationale is that between the ages of eight and 14, it is known that human beings are in a process of neurological development, when personality, the concept of risk and sensitivity towards others are built.
Last week, the city government released a survey for 2024, which revealed that among teenagers who report using social media daily, 90% say they are generally worried and 56% report at least some depressive symptoms.
Most teens surveyed say they turn to social media for “entertainment, to learn new things, or out of boredom.”
Those who report boredom as their main reason are more likely to report worrying about the future, compared to those who do not report boredom as their main reason.
Similar measures already in practice
The measure, details of which are expected to be published soon, comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom promised last week to limit the use of smartphones during the school day.
The Los Angeles school board, the nation’s second-largest school district, also approved restrictions that will take effect in January. And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a similar measure into law last year.
The fact:
- 36% of parents of teens living in very high poverty ZIP codes are more likely to report that their child “uses social media too much” compared to parents of children in low poverty localities. There is up to a 30% difference between those living in very high and low poverty ZIP codes. This data is derived from the Social Media and Mental Health Report published by New York City.