Gov. Hochul is preparing a statewide policy regarding use of smartphones in schools


On Board Online • July 22, 2024

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

Gov. Kathy Hochul has begun a statewide "listening tour" with school officials and other stakeholders as she develops a statewide policy proposal on smartphones in schools. The proposal is expected before the end of the year.

In a news release, Hochul said her goal is "to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids' mental health and deliver the best results for our schools."

The first session of the listening tour took place at Guilderland High School in Albany County on July 15. Participants included the president of New York State United Teachers, Melinda Person, and three superintendents: David Blanchard, Schoharie; Joseph Hochreiter, Albany; and Marie Wiles, Guilderland. Teachers from the Capital District also participated.

"We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they're learning and growing - not clicking and scrolling," Hochul said.

Additional roundtables over the coming months will be held across the state with a wide array of educators, parents, students and advocates, according to the governor's office. No schedule has been released.

"This listening tour builds on Governor Hochul's leadership on youth mental health and wellbeing," the governor's office said, citing:

  • The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) For Kids Act, a first-in-the-nation law that requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under age 18 unless parents give permission.
  • A $1 billion investment in mental health statewide, including $20 million in "start-up funding" for grants for expansion of mental health services in schools.
  • $5.1 million awarded in November to support 137 new school-based clinics, including 82 at high needs schools, and bringing the total number of school-based mental health clinics to more than 1,200 statewide.
  • $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, including residential care.
  • $4 million to support a loan forgiveness program for licensed mental health clinicians serving children and families.
  • A "Get Offline, Get Outside" campaign to encourage outdoor activities this summer.

In June, Pew Research reported that 72% of high school teachers nationwide say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classroom. (See https://pewrsr.ch/3y1OTRm .) Research also shows that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a May report by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. (See bit.ly/4cIoTJF .)




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