Cellphone bans in schools? New York is ‘not there yet’, mayor says

NEW YORK – Los Angeles became the largest school district in the United States to ban cellphones in June. Entire states, such as Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota, have moved to institute broad crackdowns on phones in schools. But not New York City.

At least not yet, Mayor Eric Adams said on Aug 27.

He added at a news conference that New York City is a “unique animal” and that while there will be “some action”, the city is not yet ready for a full ban.

“We’re not there yet,” he noted. “We have to get it right.”

Earlier in the summer, Mr David C. Banks, the schools chancellor, suggested that new cellphone restrictions would be unveiled before the fall semester. So the mayor’s announcement – a week before the city’s first day of school – came as a surprise to many families.

Mr Adams’ comments will likely placate some parents and educators concerned about the logistics of a ban while worrying others who argue that the devices harm students.

A growing list of states, cities and school districts have curbed students’ cellphone use as concerns rise over their mental health. Officials point to the potential damage that access to social media and an “always online” culture may do to children.

Mr Adams said he does not want any distractions in city schools. But he also wants to be careful about the implementation of any eventual ban, so that the city will not have to backtrack on its plans.

His remarks on Aug 27 represent a significant departure from Mr Banks’ position on a cellphone restriction in late June. Then, the latter hinted at a “big announcement” within two weeks and said officials were “very much leaning towards banning” the devices.

New York has banned cellphones before. Under former mayor Michael Bloomberg, cellphones and other devices such as iPods were not allowed in city schools. The following mayor Bill de Blasio rolled back that policy because it was unpopular with parents and hard to enforce.

Many of the city’s more than 1,500 public schools restrict cellphone use. Some middle schools ask children to place their phones in cubbies on the sides of their classrooms.

Many high schools hand out locked fabric pouches for phones that students carry in their bags throughout the school day.

Elsewhere, support for district-wide and even statewide cellphone bans has rapidly gained steam. Two days before Mr Banks’ comments, Mr Bloomberg – a close ally of Mr Adams – published an opinion column arguing that the administration needs to institute a ban to protect students’ well-being.

“Of course, some kids and parents will complain and argue,” Mr Bloomberg wrote in the column. “My advice to elected officials and school boards is simple: Don’t buy it. There’s too much at stake.”

But rolling out a unified plan across a district of more than 1,500 public schools is harder than it seems, according to administration officials.

“There’s the policy,” Mr Daniel Weisberg, the first deputy chancellor, told parent leaders earlier in August. “And then there’s the implementation,” he said, adding that the school system needs to better consider “what are the downsides? What are the pitfalls?”

During the summer break, some families and educators voiced their opinions in meetings with the city’s Education Department.

New York parents who were students during the Sept 11 terrorist attacks were anxious about losing the ability to contact their children in an emergency. Principals raised questions over who would foot the bill for equipment needed to collect phones.

And teachers wondered how they would be expected to discipline students who broke the rules.

Mr Jonathan Haidt, who wrote The Anxious Generation, which looks at the effects of technology on children’s mental health, and has argued for cellphone bans in schools, said New York City is right to take time to figure out the best path forward.

“I think it’s very wise to give schools a year to work out how they’re going to do this and then make it mandatory next September,” he added.

Mr Henry Rubio, head of the city’s principals union, said on Aug 27 that while administrators “know first-hand” the drawbacks of cellphones in school, a ban could not be successful without “a reasonable timeline and funding, given the challenges of enforcement”.

The city needs to collect more feedback and then create “clear citywide protocols”, he added, “so that principals aren’t left to navigate implementation without adequate support and resources”.

Ms Deborah Alexander, a mother of two teenagers in Queens, welcomed the mayor’s caution on Aug 27.

She is worried about the logistics of implementing a ban in schools with thousands of students, where many already line up early to swipe identification cards to enter their campuses. She also said that an automatic ban treats all students as irresponsible, instead of managing cellphone usage on a case-by-case basis.

“If the goal is to lessen the impact of the addiction, it is not going to be achieved by putting the cookie on the high shelf,” Ms Alexander noted. “It is only going to fetishise the phones and make them more desirable to kids.” NYTIMES