Governor Hochul brings school smartphone ban listening tour to Yonkers
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul is taking her statewide listening tour to Yonkers on Monday, as she considers banning the use of smartphones in schools across the state.
The listening tour is to hear from students, parents, and teachers about the effects of social media use on their mental health.
It is no secret that cellphones can be a distraction for students in classrooms. In fact, according to a recent Pew Research poll, 72% of teachers across the nation say phones hinder learning.
The question though is how to implement a cell phone ban?
To navigate that question Gov. Hochul said she wanted to hear from students, parents, and teachers across the state -- and on Monday she stopped in Yonkers.
Several school districts in Westchester County have already implemented cellphone bans, including Newburgh.
The superintendent there said they have already seen a reduction in social anxiety and an increase in positive student engagement both in classrooms and with their peers.
"They are coming around and I would say that we've had minimal, minimal negative interactions with students who have not wanted to put their phones in the bans, but the students do understand," said Newburgh Superintendent Jackielyn Manning Campbell. "I would say 99% of our student population have participated."
On top of being a distraction, the governor is focusing on the negative mental health impact cellphones and social media has on students and she has convened a mental health roundtable to tackle that issue.
Experts say social media instigates fights and feeds the frenzy of attention.
The governor is working with the state legislature on a bill early next year as part of her "Get Offline, Get Outside" campaign.
"The prohibition on this, like Middletown, talked about the fact that young people are communicating more in the hallways and in lunch periods and just actually acting like children again, without the compulsion to be staring at their cell phone and communicating online throughout the day," Hochul said.
As for how to implement the ban, the state has yet to determine that, but several school districts in Westchester County have students place their phones in pouches which stay locked until the end of the day.
New York City Public Schools is also considering some restrictions on cellphone use by students during classes.
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