NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Gov. Kathy Hochul continued to press state lawmakers on her legislation to implement a “bell-to-bell” phone-free environment across New York schools to improve children’s mental health and educational experience.
“What a radical concept: The thought that students should be there paying attention to their teachers and interacting with each other and not these all day long phenomenally destructive distractions which have now taken over children’s childhood and also the classroom environment,” the governor said at a youth mental health roundtable on Tuesday.
Joined by Common Sense Media, Hochul called on state lawmakers to get behind her proposed school phone ban legislation, and announced a letter written to legislators by the digital health nonprofit.
According to Common Sense Media’s 2024 research, nearly 70% of teens report that social media distracts them from schoolwork, and other studies show negative correlation between phone use and academic achievement, and increased risk for depression and suicide.
“Families will always play a key role in managing their children’s digital lives but they cannot do it alone. Just ask any parent. They need the State of New York on their side,” the letter, signed by Common Sense Media founder and CEO James Steyer, said.
Hochul’s proposal stipulates that there can be no unsanctioned use of smartphones or other internet-enabled devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day, including in settings like lunch and study hall. It also allows schools to develop their own storage systems and provides funding to purchase storage solutions and requires schools to give parents a way to contact their children during the day.
The legislation also provides exemptions, including for students who need an internet-enabled device to manage health issues or for academic purposes like translation.
It would go into effect starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, and apply to New York public schools, charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services.
“I’m going to keep fighting for this bill. We’re in the final stretches now to get this over the finish line. I’m excited about where we are,” Hochul said. “I’m not going to compromise our children’s health.”
Common Sense Media also spoke in Albany in support of the governor’s proposals to make AI services safer for kids, including efforts to outlaw AI-generated sexual abuse material, making AI companion technology safer and expanding media literacy efforts.