Governor seeks to end ‘excessive smartphone use’ in schools

This summer, Gov. Hochul launched the “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign to promote physical and mental health.

The first-in-the-nation law is aimed at combating “addictive social media feeds, expanding school-based mental health clinics and other resources.”

Discussions of cell phone usage in school settings have expanded into September as well as ongoing discussions with educators and parents to discuss youth mental health and well-being.

This past July, she also kicked off a statewide listening tour focused on addressing smartphone use in schools in hopes of launching a statewide policy proposal on smartphones in schools that will be announced later this year.

“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing—not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul 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.”

According to Pew Research, 72 percent of high school teachers nationwide say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classroom.

In an effort to tackle “excessive smartphone use in schools,” she said she plans to gather detailed successes and challenges on current policies from New York State schools.

In June, Hochul also signed two pieces of legislation to help create a safer digital environment for New York’s young people:

The SAFE for Kids Act requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. Unless parental consent is granted, users under 18 will not receive addictive feeds. Notably, the SAFE For Kids Act was the first law of its kind to be signed in any state across the nation.

The New York Child Data Protection Act will prohibit online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website.

LOCAL SCHOOL POLICIES

William Floyd School District currently does not have a policy on cell phone uses and declined to comment.

South Country School District also does not currently have an official policy in place; however, they do have procedures in place to help minimize cell phone use during instructional time.

“[The district] is committed to providing students with a school environment that is conducive to learning and engaging with teachers and peers,” said superintendent of schools Antonio Santana. “Our work in this area is ongoing as we learn more about the effects of cell phone usage on teens. As we look forward to any substantial change in our approach to cell phone [usage], we want to be sure that the practices are not only sustainable, but supported by our community.”

The Patchogue-Medford School District Code of Conduct currently states: “The unauthorized display or use of personal electronic devices by students may be considered disruptive or disorderly. These personal electronic devices include, but are not limited to, radios, cell phones, iPods, and other music, video, and/or media players, cameras, laptops, and tablets.”

According to the district, it is at the discretion of the administrator, faculty, or staff member in charge during the situation to determine if a student’s cell phone use is disruptive or disorderly.

If the student’s conduct is determined to be disruptive or disorderly, the student may be subject to disciplinary action.

The district’s Code of Conduct also clarifies that teachers may not communicate with students and/or parents via private cell phone text messaging to discuss course objectives and require

ments, marking and grading procedures, assignment deadlines, expectations for students, classroom rules and regulations, and student performance. These communications are conducted through district-approved software platforms, including email and ParentSquare.

The district also has a policy outlining the proper use of district-owned cell phones. The board of education recognizes that certain district employees will be required to carry district-owned cell phones to meet their job responsibilities. The business office maintains a list of job titles requiring district-owned cell phones that is reported to the board for approval each year. All cellular telephone contracts are secured through the appropriate purchasing process and are subject to review and approval by the board.