New York governor proposes banning students' phone use in schools
New York could become the latest state to bar students from using cell phones during school under a new mandate Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed on Tuesday as part of her budget plan.
Hochul's rule would require school districts to set policies to ban student smartphone use on school grounds during the school day to "ensure a distraction-free learning environment," according to her budget briefing.
The proposal carves out exceptions that include letting students use their phones for specific educational purposes, medical reasons, translations and emergencies.
Hochul, during her budget presentation in Albany, pitched the rules as a crackdown on learning distractions and bullying, developed after a series of discussions she led around the state on how cell phones were affecting student learning and interaction.
"We're not developing the skills we need because kids are distracted with the cell phones," Hochul said. "And how hard it is for our teachers, trying to teach algebra and geography, and they're competing with viral dances, and messages from their friends, and sometimes threats, bullying. How do you pay attention to the subject at hand when this is going on?"
8 states passed laws to ban or restrict phone use in schools
The vast majority of students use their phones during school hours, according to a Common Sense Media study, with a median screen time of 43 minutes. But phone use in class has become a hotly debated issue that has induced a wave of state legislation across the country.
At least eight states have passed laws to ban or restrict student cell phone use in school over academic and mental health concerns, according to KFF, a health policy and research group. More than a dozen others have introduced legislation.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom passed a law in September aimed at minimizing cellphone use in the classroom in an effort to boost students' mental health. School districts and charter schools have until July 1, 2026, to implement policies limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones.
Then-Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill in March prohibiting students from using phones and other wireless devices in classrooms. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a similar bill in May that requires school districts to implement a policy regulating cellphone usage during school hours.
In 2023, Florida became the first state to prohibit student phone use during class time and to block social media access on the school's Wi-Fi.
How parents, teachers and teens feel about phones in class
As state legislators weigh phone bans for students, research shows the majority of their parents are in favor of some restrictions.
A Pew Research Center survey of parents with a child in K-12 found that 65% supported a phone ban during class for middle and high school students. A much smaller group – 36% – supported a ban for the entire school day.
Among teachers, concern over phone use is split across the K-12 spectrum. A Pew survey last year found 72% of high school teachers and 33% of middle school teachers believe smartphones pose a major distraction for students.
But while legislators, parents and teachers have shown varying levels of apprehension over phone use in school, most teens say phones either help or don't affect learning. Nearly 1 in 3 respondents in a Pew survey published in 2024 said smartphones don't affect teens' academic success, and 45% said phones make it easier to do well in school. Nearly a quarter of teens said phones make learning harder.
Contributing: Minnah Arshad and Anthony Robledo, Paste BN
Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.