New York City’s public schools may soon ban students from using mobile phones as early as January next year. The city’s education director, David Banks, said that specific regulations will be announced in two weeks.
The harms of mobile phones and social media on children and adolescents are receiving increasing attention. Banks, in an interview with Fox News on June 25, stated that not only do phones disrupt students’ learning, but they also lead to addiction. The Department of Education has recognized the seriousness of this issue and therefore will prohibit students from using mobile phones. While hundreds of principals have told Banks to “take away the phones,” some parents are concerned that in emergencies, they won’t be able to contact their children if phones are banned at school. Thus, the Department of Education will publish specific regulations after further research.
Banks, interviewed by NY1 News on the 26th, mentioned that specific regulations will be released in two weeks, with implementation as early as January 2025. He mentioned that students can still bring their phones to school for contacting family after classes, but the Department of Education will establish a system preventing phone usage during class.
Mayor Adams also supports Banks’ decision. In an interview on the radio show “Jonesy In The Morning” on the 26th, Adams mentioned that phones have brought many negative impacts on young people, such as high levels of depression and suicide attempts. Therefore, the city government is working on a plan that allows students to focus on learning, while parents do not have to worry about losing contact with their children.
During former Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s tenure, cell phone bans were implemented in New York City public schools, but Mayor Bill de Blasio reversed the ban in 2015. Bloomberg, in a column published in the New York Post on the 25th, urged Adams to reinstate the ban for the sake of the children.
Cell phone bans in schools have been implemented in various parts of the United States. Just last week, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced a ban. States such as Oklahoma, Kansas, Vermont, Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania have also introduced similar bans; New York Governor Cuomo is also considering a statewide phone ban.