Tuesday, March 18, 2025
In recent years, many young people have come to feel as if smartphones are nothing less than extension of themselves, keeping them in touch with the world as they rely ever more heavily on technology.
But do their devices affect students’ ability to learn in school?
According to the National Institutes of Health, smartphones may have detrimental effects on learning and memory, and a reliance on them has been linked to a form of psychological dependency.
Gov. Kathy Hochul agrees, and proposed banning the phones from schools in her budget address on Jan. 21. Her plan, part of her $252 billion fiscal year 2026 executive budget, would prevent the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day, including classroom time, lunch and study halls.
Schools would devise their own ways to implement the ban and store the devices. Hochul’s proposal includes roughly $13.5 million in state funding to help schools purchase storage options, such as cubbies, pouches or lockers.
The plan would also require schools to ensure that parents have a way to contact their children during the day if needed.
According to a statement given to the Herald on Friday, the Lynbrook school district’s administration supports the proposal, and emphasizes the need for students to focus on work during the day.
“In fact, our district has already implemented cell phone restrictions that balance educational needs with student well-being,” the statement read. “We recognize that while technology plays a vital role in an educational setting, limiting personal cell phone use during instructional time helps minimize distractions, improve student engagement and foster collaboration.”
The East Rockaway school district has a similar policy. At East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School, students in seventh through ninth grades are not permitted to use their phones or other personal devices at any time except during lunch, in the cafeteria, while upperclassmen can use phones in specified areas during lunch and breaks, and while in the hallway, restroom or any other location outside the classroom.
In both districts, failure to comply with the policy can result in phone confiscation.
It is unclear whether Hochul’s proposal would eliminate the use of the devices in those permitted areas. And according to her plan, the schools would be required to store the cell phones, instead of allowing students to keep them in their bags or backpacks.
Lucas Elena, a Lynbrook High School freshman said that there are countless situations in which students need their phones, and he does not believe a total ban is necessary.
“I myself use it to meet up with friends and go to lunch, let my parents know anything, set reminders for myself to hand in or do certain things, and much more,” Elena said.
However, many parents said they feel a restriction on phones in classroom can help students focus on their work.
“I don’t think kids should have phones in the classroom at all,” Lynbrook parent Cara Rose said. “Maybe keep them in their locker, but that’s it.”
In her budget presentation, Hochul said that teachers across the country cite cellphones in classrooms as a major disruption because “95 percent of students have access, and are receiving on average 250 notifications a day.”
"As a mom, these aren’t just statistics to me,” she said. “I know how hard it is to get your kids’ attention. My kids used to text each other underneath the kitchen table, meaning they weren’t talking to each other. It started back then. It’s happening in our classrooms.”
The governor said she had held roundtables across the state with educators and students, which helped shape her proposal.
The ban would include devices like smartwatches as well as smartphones. Cellphones without internet capability would still be allowed, as well as devices that are provided by the school for classroom work.
Exemptions would be allowed for students who need smartphones to manage medical condition, for language translation or for Individualized Education Programs.
Discussion of Hochul’s budget proposal is continuing in the State Legislature.
