This school year, Governor Kathy Hochul has a plan to ban smartphones in New York schools. According to an article by GovTech, Hochul believes that this ban will result in students being able to focus better during lessons, interact with their peers more, and improve students’ overall mental health. Hochul says that she, as well as many teachers, have made note that every upcoming year students seem to become more and more addicted to their phones, resulting in being less social with their peers in the classroom, hallways, or even in the lunchroom. By banning phones, she wants to take a step back and change things to become more like they were in the past by forcing students to interact with each other more.
Another thing that Hochul notes is an increase in mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety amongst students. Hochul believes that there is a significant link between the increase in phone usage with mental health issues. Phones could cause this increase due to the increased time spent on social media and other apps.
One concern that both parents and students are making in response to Hochul’s plans is in the case of a lockdown emergency. Parents make the argument that they prefer to be in contact with their child during this alarming time to make sure that their child is safe and they immediately know what is going on. Hochul acknowledges this in a podcast called “Today, Explained” by saying that she understands this worry; however, she would rather students focus on what their instructor is saying and not go on social media, so the intruder in the building does not know where they are.
Hochul also says how by banning phones, this will help to raise adults rather than children and while this could be true, doing this also contradicts what she is saying since she is restricting students from using their phones which will not be done in the workforce.
Some students and faculty were interviewed about their opinion on this phone ban by Governor Hochul and there were a variety of responses. Claire Arnoff, a junior, says, “I feel as though phones should be required to be away, but not taken away.” She further explains how she understands how students should not be on their phones during class since being on their phones could cause them to not pay full attention to the material being taught. However, she feels as though students should be allowed to have the option to have their phone at school so that their “sense of self control can be expressed.”
Gianna Commisso, a junior who has a similar outlook as Claire, says “I, personally, think phones shouldn’t be banned in schools, but I think they should be regulated. Things like phone pockets or cubbies don’t bother me, mostly because I know my phone is always there if some dire situation occurs where I might need to contact someone. I find that it’s easier for me to focus in classes where we are forced to put our phones in a slot instead of keeping them on us or not having them at all.”
When interviewed, Mr. DeMartinis explains his reaction to this ban. He describes how his “first and initial reactions are that this kind of came out of nowhere. Cell phone use in schools is nothing new, but the fact that our Governor is paying so close attention was a bit of a surprise to me and a pleasant surprise. As a building leader, phones are something I have tried to manage for a long time now, so I was happy to hear that Governor Hochul is, with her team, considering some kind of guidance for distractions to follow regarding cell phone usage.”
Mrs. Parker, a guidance counselor here at Mepham, says, “I think phones have taken away from many social interactions; however, having a cellphone could have both negative and positive aspects. I don’t think I would be opposed to some form of limiting, but during lunch I think students should be able to have their phone.”
Mrs. Dell’Olio, the new assistant principal, described her view on this ban. She says, “I think that the possible phone ban would allow for students to no longer have a device that is distracting them from the lesson and what’s being taught while also giving students an opportunity to shut off from any type of distraction, providing schools an opportunity to make this decision for their students. So, I can see the benefits and I could also see some of the things that may need to change. For example, I’m a parent, so if my child went to school and couldn’t bring a phone it would be more of a challenge for me to contact them.”
Emma Gallagher and Alexi Cohen, both juniors at Mepham, say, “Phones are an integral part of our lives and should be utilized in the classroom. My phone is very helpful in the classroom for taking notes as well as for emergencies.”
