Newsman: The New York City is planning to prohibit cellphone use in school during the school day, amid a nationwide movement to curb phone use in schools and growing warnings about how smartphones are affecting children.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned recently that social media is so harmful to kids, Congress should force apps to include warning labels, just like those required on cigarettes and alcohol.
New York City Public Schools will announce the rules early next month, Chancellor David Banks said, responding to widespread concern about youth mental health.
Chancellor David Banks said the district, which is controlled by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, consulted medical doctors as it developed the ban. It will affect about 915,000 students.
“Our kids are fully addicted to these phones,” Banks said in an interview with NY1. “We’ve got to do something about it.” Banks said the new program would not pass on any costs to students.
In New York City, the district is trying to navigate concerns from some parents that cellphone restrictions will make it more difficult for them to reach their children.
Banks said the new rules would allow students to bring their devices to school, but they will be off limits during school hours.
“We want you to be able to bring your phone to school because the minute that school is over, you need to be in communication with your family,” he said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed a bill that would require social media platforms to turn off personalized recommendation systems for pupils — is also planning to propose legislation that would prohibit smartphones in schools statewide.
The move in the nation’s largest school district comes while growing warnings about worry about how smartphones are affecting children today as the danger of social media poses to children.
The move will be a significant changes from current practice, which allows individual school principals to come up with their own policies.
In 2015, then Mayor Bill de Blasio scrapped a citywide school phone ban instituted by his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, urged the city to take a step back and assess the best way to tackle the issue.
“If you talk to any individual teachers, they will say, ‘get rid of cell phones in the classroom,’” Mulgrew said in a statement. “We need to workshop the issue this summer to get a broader take from our membership, about what works and doesn’t from schools that already collect cell phones
