Call Me Maybe?

New Cellphone Ban Impacts CNY Families

Parents students, and experts weigh in on the new school rules.

By Maggie Nerz Iribarne

Two middle schoolers using their devices while waiting for the school bus. | Photo by Lauren Wojtalewski

Do you ever wish you could make smartphones and social media disappear? That wish has become reality for New York schools.

As part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s Distraction-Free Schools law, which passed earlier this year, all New York schools must limit access to distracting devices beginning this fall. From the first bell to the last, or bell-to-bell, students are no longer able to use internet-enabled smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. This includes time spent in hallways, at lunch, and during recess.

“We’ve protected our kids before from cigarettes, alcohol, and drunk driving, and now we’re protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention,” Hochul said in an AP News article.

How are families impacted by these new policies? We gathered insights from local parents, students, school administrators, and experts.

Overall, there is a general feeling of optimism, with only a few lingering concerns from parents.

“Kids in the lunchroom and in the hallway between classes should be interacting with each other, not staring at their phones,” said one mom of a Fayetteville-Manlius sixth grader.

A mother of two Manlius Pebble Hill students felt initially positive about the new rules but now wonders about their efficacy.

“It all sounds great to me as a parent, but laptops are often used in classrooms, and in my mind students can find the same sort of distractions on their laptops as they can on their phones,” she said. “One of my kids mentioned, ‘If students really are addicted to their phones or social media, taking away phones during the day isn't going to fix that.’”

While laptops still tempt students, phones are a stronger force, according to Matthew Mulvaney, chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Service at Syracuse University. “Laptops hinder as well but less so as they are more public and more noticeable and are less habit-forming,” he said.

He agrees that banning phones will not impede student tech addiction, but contends that without phones in schools, there will be space for students to take on new activities and learn new skills. “It’s particularly important to do this in adolescence or younger in order to help them adapt those strategies when they are still flexible and able to change,” he said.

But can change happen if kids are resistant? Several students told us that they expect their peers to try to dodge the restrictions and find ways to access their phones.

“I think it will be hard enforcing the rules, but I also think it will be good because there will be less bullying from other students because most bullying happens online,” a Nottingham sophomore said. “Honestly, I am against it because I am going to miss texting my friends and listening to music during the school day.”

While student buy-in would be ideal, Mulvaney compares the cellphone change to the advent of smoking bans. “People don’t recall how much resistance there was to smoking bans when they were implemented 20 years ago or so,” he said. “Today most people think it was a very good thing for society. The same is true here: not everyone is on board, but I believe they will be in 10 or 20 years when they see how much better the education of their children is.”

Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) is already seeing a positive impact from device restrictions. CBA was the first area school to go strict bell-to-bell, requiring cellphones to be placed in specially designated lockers for the entire day.

“Schools are meant to support intellectual, physical, and for CBA, spiritual growth,” said CBA Principal David Marshall. “Phones do not enhance any of these things, but create an environment of dependence and instant gratification. Our school community is stronger for eliminating phones from all classrooms, hallways, and the dining center.”

With one school year of the full ban behind them, CBA parents shared their views.

“I think the no cellphone policy is great,” one parent said. “My child noticed right away at lunch that students were actually talking to one another instead of being on their phones. She also said students are more engaged in class.”

Another mom of a senior pointed out the adjustment process around reaching her child. “I had major concerns about not having an immediate way to reach my daughter if there was an emergency. There is peace of mind in having instant communication with your child, and that was something I had to get used to this past year,” she said.

While instant contact may be easier, experts indicate that it’s not always helpful or healthy.

“In the event of an emergency, police have always advised us to focus on the training and safety of our students first,” Marshall said. “Cellphones have been known to cause additional distractions and draw unwanted attention during emergency situations. We consulted with several different police agencies and the message from them all was the same. Once everything is safe, we will allow students to access their phones and contact parents, but in emergency situations, we need to let the first responders do their jobs without any phone or traffic interference. We also have communication plans in place to alert parents of the status of any situation.”

Emergencies aside, families had to adjust to the overall shift in how and when they could be in contact during the school day. Mulvaney notes that this can actually be a positive opportunity for growth.

“For adolescents, I think a key developmental task is the development of autonomy and responsibility. Phones hinder that for young people when they are in constant communication with parents,” Mulvaney said.

Beneath the current of these conversations runs an inherent question: Are cellphones a convenience or a necessity?

Mulvaney leans on the side of convenience, pointing out that in the past students were able to get where they needed to be without making contact with their parents throughout the day. He speculates that the ban could prompt teachers, coaches, and administrators to be careful and coordinated about all school day plans so that unexpected changes do not occur regularly.

A mom of two Nottingham High School students agrees. “If I need to communicate with my children during the school day, I'll do it the old-fashioned way: by calling the school and trusting the systems in place to relay messages,” she said. “The priority is to get our kids' attention back so teachers can teach and kids can learn. I'm all for it.”