New York to ban phones in city classrooms over fears for mental health of ‘totally addicted’ children

Schools in New York City are planning to ban the use of cell phones due to concerns about children’s mental health.

America’s largest school system announced the move Wednesday after a detailed consultation with medical professionals.

“Our kids are completely addicted to these phones, we have to do something about it,” said David Banks, chancellor of New York City schools, in an interview with broadcaster NY1.

He said the new rules, which will be announced in full next month, will affect about 915,000 students.

In a bid to ease fears that parents could not contact their children, Mr Banks said the new rules would allow the devices on school grounds, but their use would not be allowed during school hours.

“We want you to be able to bring your phone to school because the moment school ends, you need to be in communication with your family,” he said.

The ban is a significant departure from existing rules that allow individual teachers to set their own cell phone policy.

As a result, New York schools have used a variety of approaches with some collecting phones at the start of the day or others instructing students to put their devices in locked bags.

In 2015, then New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lifted a blanket ban on cell phones in the city’s schools implemented by his predecessor Michael Bloomberg.

At the time, he said it was unfair to shift the costs associated with the law to families in low-income communities.

Banks said the new plan won’t mean any additional costs for students. “We don’t want kids to have to pay a dollar to leave their phone at a bodega across the street,” he added.

Kathy Hochul, the Democratic governor of New York, is planning to follow the city’s lead by proposing new legislation that would ban smartphones in schools across the state.

In California, Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor, last week promised to limit the use of smartphones during the school day.

The Los Angeles school board — the nation’s second-largest school district after New York City — also recently approved restrictions that will take effect in January.

Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, signed a similar measure into law last year.

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