New York Leads the way protecting students from smartphone distractions in schools.
In my long career for 56 years now as a Psychiatric Social Worker I have been continuously involved in prevention activities to prevent substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, mental health problems, bullying, juvenile delinquency, and now smartphone and computer addiction.
Social Psychologists like Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge have documented the rise in adolescent anxiety, depression, suicide since the increasing prevalence of smartphones and social media around 2010.
There has not only been a rise in these mental health problems in adolescents but also in adults.
There are small steps government can take to pass regulations to discipline individual and group behavior that harms the public health. Restricting smartphone use in some settings where it is disruptive and harmful is one small step like restricting smoking in public places and not driving intoxicated.
These regulations work. New York State has the lowest DUI mortality rate in the nation. It is ranked #3 in suicides with the third lowest suicide rate among states in the nation and is #5 in the lowest gun mortality rate in the nation.
The point is that public health policies and regulations have significant quality of life outcomes which people, for the most part, are not aware of.
It can be predicted that restricting smartphone use in schools in New York State will have similar beneficial consequences for our New York State citizens.
From NYS Governor Kathy Hochul:
Across our nation, kids are being besieged by addictive algorithms, toxic social media, and smartphones that can manipulate their minds like a drug.
I’ve held roundtables in every corner of the state with students, parents, teachers, and experts on the impact of smartphones on learning and our kids' mental health. At one of those roundtables, a young woman said to me: “You have to save us from ourselves.”
Young people are calling for help. As the adults in the room, it's our job to pick up that call – and help them put down the phone.
I’m proposing a plan to put an end to digital distractions in every public school in New York so our children can focus on learning, not scrolling.
Here are the details:
Students will be required to put smartphones away and out of sight – not just during homeroom or lunch, but for the entire school day
Schools will be empowered to develop their own implementation plans and can utilize new funding to purchase storage solutions to help them go distraction-free
Parents will still be able to contact their child during the day if needed
And law enforcement officials, including our State Police Superintendent, have made it clear: If there’s an emergency at school, a distraction-free environment is safer for students.
This week, I visited Farnsworth Middle School where they already have a distraction-free policy in place. Students and teachers told me that the lunchroom and hallways are loud again because kids are talking to each other instead of looking at their phones.
Our plan stems from one simple truth: When I hear that kids are in need, I will never hesitate to act.
We’ve protected our children before – from cigarettes to alcohol and drunk driving. Now, we’re taking action again, protecting them from the challenges of addictive technology.
Ever Upward,
Gov. Kathy Hochul