Before April 1, as the New York State Assembly prepares to approve a budget of $13.5 million for a campus cell phone ban, this ban is facing challenges – some Democratic state lawmakers hope to grant greater autonomy to local school districts, potentially weakening the effectiveness of the policy. In response to this, Chinese parents express concerns that allowing children to secretly use their phones at school may affect their learning. Several parent groups have come together to urge legislators to support a full-day ban on cell phones on campus, warning against “heading in the wrong direction.”
Chinese parent Mrs. Sun, who has three children, besides worrying about addiction to social media, expresses distress over her children playing games. She notes that when her child is addicted to playing games on the phone at home, if someone interrupts him, he will yell loudly, which would be a distraction in school. “The school environment is crucial. If the majority of students are using phones and there’s an attempt to change that environment, it will inevitably face resistance and opposition. However, if everyone complies, the children will adapt to a campus life without phones,” she says.
She supports a full-day ban on cell phones on campus, stating, “Most parents do not like their children playing with phones. If a child is deeply involved in a game during break time and the bell rings for class, it will surely distract his focus, impacting his ability to learn.”
Mrs. Zhao, whose child attends a high school in Queens, New York, emphasizes the need for younger students, especially in elementary and middle school, who have poor self-discipline, to have a complete ban on phones at school. “My son’s school currently prohibits phone use in class but allows during breaks. I support a full-day ban to cultivate good study habits in children.”
Parents of other ethnicities have also repeatedly expressed in joint petitions, “Children’s brains are not yet fully developed, making them more prone to impulsiveness and addiction. Schools should be a place for students to focus on learning and not be disturbed by these powerful and addictive devices. Any measures falling short of this standard are irresponsible towards children.”
On January 21 of this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced funding in the 2026 budget to implement the “No Disturbance Campus” standard statewide for the 2025-26 school year, which includes a campus cell phone ban. The ban prohibits students from using smartphones or other personal networking devices during all school hours, including classes, lunch, and self-study periods (with a few exceptions). This requires students to store their phones upon entering school, with a budget allocation of $13.5 million to assist schools in purchasing storage equipment. However, the state legislature must pass the budget for the year before April 1.
The New York Post reports that recently, both houses of the New York State legislature have proposed amendments allowing New York City public schools and other districts to decide independently whether to enforce a complete ban on phones. This could allow students to continue using phones during breaks, in the hallways, during lunch, and study periods, rather than a full-day ban, significantly weakening the effectiveness of the policy.
However, various parent groups, including Phone Free Action, collectively sent a petition to leaders of the State Senate Majority, Andrea Stewart Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, remarking that “Legislators must not take the wrong path at this critical moment.”
The petition stresses that only banning phones during class is meaningless. They argue that a comprehensive ban from the start to the end of school hours (Bell-to-bell policy) is crucial to promote real interaction among students in the corridors, cafeteria, and playground. If phone usage is only restricted in class, students may still be engrossed in phones and social media during breaks.
The petition points out the uniqueness of the phone issue, mandating its unified regulation by the state government to prevent students from accessing dangerous content, including fentanyl drug transactions, social media content promoting suicide and eating disorders, cyberbullying, illegal gambling, and even potential threats of sexual crimes and human trafficking.
Michael Benedetto, the Chair of the New York State Assembly Education Committee and one of the proponents of the amendment, argues, “Some schools may wish to use phones as educational tools in the classroom,” suggesting that it should be the school district and not the state government deciding on phone policies.
Citing data on the decline in students’ reading and math performance after the COVID-19 pandemic, parent groups advocate for a full ban on phone use. If phone use is only prohibited in class, teachers would be forced to act as “phone police,” making enforcement difficult and affecting teaching efficiency. ◇