Matthew Gaven: Navigating the digital age in our schools

The conversation surrounding the role of smartphones and internet-enabled devices in our schools has intensified, reaching the highest levels of state government. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently proposed a significant policy shift: restricting student access to these devices from bell to bell in New York’s public schools. This proposal stems from genuine concerns about student mental health, engagement, and the pervasive distractions of the digital world — concerns that we, as educators and community members in Rockville Centre, share deeply.

Much of this national dialogue gained significant momentum following the publication of Jonathan Haidt’s influential book, “The Anxious Generation.” Haidt compellingly argues that the shift from play-based childhoods to phone-based lives, particularly since the early 2010s, has contributed to alarming rises in anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges among young people. His research resonates with many educators and parents who witness firsthand the challenges students face in navigating constant connectivity and the pressures of social media. The book has undeniably framed the problem effectively, prompting necessary discussions about how we can best support our children’s well-being and academic focus in the modern technological landscape.

Hochul’s proposal seeks to address these valid concerns head-on with a uniform, statewide approach. The intention — to foster more focused learning environments, encourage face-to-face interaction and reduce digital distractions — is certainly laudable. We appreciate the governor bringing attention to this critical issue and acknowledging the challenges presented by ubiquitous technology in schools.

As this conversation unfolds across the nation, we observe a variety of approaches. While a few states, such as Florida and Indiana, have implemented statewide policies often restricting phone use during instructional time, many others are deliberately empowering local school districts — like California and Virginia — to study the issue and develop their own specific rules reflecting local needs. This highlights that there isn’t a single, universally adopted solution, further underscoring the value of community-specific deliberation.

Indeed, while we acknowledge the problem Haidt identifies and appreciate the governor’s focus, we believe that a one-size-fits-all mandate originating from Albany may not be the most effective path forward for every community, including our own here in Rockville Centre. Education has always thrived on the principle of local control, allowing individual districts, guided by their elected Boards of Education and informed by community input, to tailor policies that best meet the unique needs and values of their students and families. Indeed, we have already begun to solicit student feedback on this issue. I met with a group of our high school student government representatives to discuss the issue of Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Their feedback, while not a ringing endorsement of the policy, sought solutions to issues such as free periods, open-campus policies and after-school activities.

Rockville Centre Union Free School District has a longstanding tradition of thoughtful deliberation and collaborative decision-making. Our Board of Education, deeply invested in the success and well-being of our students, works closely with administrators, teachers, parents and students themselves to craft policies that reflect our community’s specific context. We are confident in our collective ability to address the challenges posed by smartphones and internet-enabled devices in a nuanced and effective way, specific to Rockville Centre.

We trust our educators’ professionalism, our parents’ insights and our students’ perspectives to help us forge a path that balances the undeniable need for focus and well-being with the realities of the world our children are growing up in.

We are committed to addressing the concerns raised by Haidt and acknowledged by Hochul. We will engage our community, examine the research, learn from best practices elsewhere, and task our dedicated Board of

Education with developing thoughtful policies regarding student smartphone use. We believe this local approach, grounded in the specific needs and collaborative spirit of Rockville Centre, will ultimately serve our students far better than a top-down mandate. We are more than capable of designing a solution that works for our district.

Matthew Gaven is superintendent of the Rockville Centre Union Free School District