This week, Governor Kathy Hochul kicked off a “listening tour” to hear from educators and parents about the impact of cellphones on students, as part of her goal of developing a statewide policy about phones in schools.
“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing — not clicking and scrolling,” she said. “That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools.”
NYSUT President Melinda Person attended the kickoff event, to weigh in on behalf of members and share their experiences.
“New York is leading the way in protecting kids from exploitation by Big Tech and addictive algorithms used in social media. This is a challenge we must address,” said Person.
Social media and cellphones are a dominating force in students’ lives, but educators say children are more disconnected than ever before. Concerned about the huge hole tech was making in students’ lives, NYSUT is arguing for greater regulation of this largely unregulated industry — beginning with the successful passage of the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act — and the need for healthy technology standards for students. The bills were signed into law by Hochul in late June after passing both houses almost unanimously.
During the roundtable, which took place at Guilderland High School and included educators and administrators from schools across the Capital Region, the governor reflected on the ways that cellphones are detracting from students’ education.
“I saw a statistic last month that I haven’t been able to forget, that 72 percent of teachers across the nation report that cellphones are a major distraction for students in their classrooms,” Hochul said. “It's time to start figuring out solutions here. The status quo is not working for our children.”
Teachers and administrators shared that cellphones are also instigating more fights at school and leading to problematic stunts, Hochul said.
Schoharie Central School District Superintendent David Blanchard spoke to the group about a distraction-free policy the district implemented in January 2023. The Schoharie policy prohibits the use of cellphones, smartwatches and earbuds during the school day.
Blanchard reported that violence had gone down and student attention had improved.
On September 20, NYSUT is hosting Disconnected, a forum exploring the impact cellphones, social media and technology have on children, schools and learning. Hochul said she would be participating in the event as part of her listening tour.