School districts in New York State are implementing a controversial new policy on the banning of cellphones and personal devices in school next year. But why is this happening? The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, has been pushing for law enforcement to restrict the use of cellphones in schools statewide with the idea in mind that it will help create a distraction-free environment. Additionally, she believes that without these handheld devices, social media use will be decreased, therefore aiding the youth mental health. Teachers may see these phone free zones as an opportunity to directly connect and educate their students without the concern that their attention is elsewhere. However, students have not reacted well to this ban.
When asking for students’ opinions on the New York State cell phone ban, they have all but positive things to say regarding it. Sasha Stiener, a junior at Blind Brook High School responded, “I think it’s a violation of our privacy and personal freedom.” This seems to be the average response among most students. They feel as if their phones are valuable access points of communication with their family and potential after-school jobs. Without this, they have no way to interact with them about potential conflicts or issues when confined during the school day. This generation has grown up with phones, and now lacking that ability to have them seems foreign. “I personally find New York’s cellphone ban to be not only harmful, but unnecessary. I know I rely on my phone and personal computer for a number of different classes throughout my school day, as do many others. I feel that this denial of students’ abilities to utilize their personal belongings will be inconvenient for many. There are some tasks that may be completed quicker or more efficiently with a personal device, and the passage of the cellphone ban undermines that,” stated Blind Brook High School junior Noah Dweck when asked for his thoughts. Students find some work difficult to be done on the school issued ipad due to formatting differences and a lack of resources. Instead of creating a distraction-free environment, students who are accustomed to using their personal devices may get bogged down during lessons, producing the opposite result of what was intended.
“I think that if a phone is used responsibly and in a controlled manner it could really be used as a resource not just a detrimental factor in education. In the end there is no preventing students from using their phones because the world is gonna keep advancing that way, so we might as well take it and teach the students how to use it responsibly,” sophomore Joley Meron explains. Students are hooked on the hope that schools can accept the use of personal technology, embracing it rather than fighting it in a way that can be beneficial to both the teachers, students, and their learning environment.