New York City Public Schools, the nation’s largest school district, is planning to prohibit cellphone use during the school day. This major policy shift comes in response to growing concern about youth mental health and the impact of smartphones on children. The ban will affect approximately 915,000 students. While students will still be allowed to bring their devices to school, they will be off-limits during school hours. This move represents a significant departure from current practice, where individual school principals set their own cellphone policies. Additionally, New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to propose legislation that would prohibit smartphones in schools statewide. It’s clear that there’s a nationwide movement to curb phone use in schools and address the effects of social media on children.
NYC is expected to announce a ban on cellphones in public schools. The data show that phone-free school days can lead to better learning outcomes, lower rates of bullying, and lower rates of anxiety, among other benefits.
The more the data comes in the more obvious it will… pic.twitter.com/a1uPDMa1N3
— Sinead Bovell (@sineadbovell) June 27, 2024
The Los Angeles Unified School District took a big step in favor of common sense: It banned cell phone use during school days. Other districts should follow its lead, starting with the largest one in the country: NYC. t.co/LUKn5SbPZM
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) June 24, 2024
📱 New York to ban phones in city’s classrooms amid fears for ‘fully addicted’ children’s mental healtht.co/NGSvQ4Acua
— Telegraph US (@TelegraphUS) June 27, 2024