New York schools banned smartphones a year ago — and it seems to be a smart idea

Speaking from a classroom at Schuyler Middle School in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Monday detailed the results of a statewide end-of-year survey on the state's school smartphone ban.

Now in place for a full academic year, the ban has yielded encouraging results for students, educators, and parents alike.

The state law prohibits “unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day,” including lunch, recess, homeroom, study halls, and open periods.

'Social interaction between students, especially in the hallways and at lunch, has increased significantly.'

Individual schools are given discretion over how to enforce the policy. Methods of device storage range from students' lockers to large lockboxes to the increasingly popular Yondr pouches specifically designed for phones.

The ban applies to public school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services.

RELATED: Gavin Newsom signs bill to ban cell phone use in California public schools

Two students hold the Yondr pouches that lock their smartphones and prevent them from being used.Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Hochul’s office received 585 responses to the survey from teachers and school administrators, representing a mix of all grade levels. Forty-seven percent of the responses came from New York City, while 53% came from the rest of the state.

“Eighty percent reported that the students are behaving better in a more engaged way. They’re collaborating more. They’re talking to each other. … They’re acting like kids again, feeling that burden lifted from their shoulders. And they’re participating in class discussions. And teachers are feeling they can finally teach,” Hochul said.

Specifically, 311 respondents reported more active participation in discussions, 282 reported improved peer collaboration, and 273 reported better focus on assignments.

Bullying has also decreased as a result, with 60% of respondents reporting a decline in bullying and cyberbullying incidents.

“Young people could just go through the day without being harassed,” Hochul stated.

Ziad Attia, a senior at Blind Brook High School in Westchester County, shared with Blaze News his experience with the smartphone ban: “Social interaction between students, especially in the hallways and at lunch, has increased significantly.”

Attia explained that while the students are meant to store their phones in their lockers, “as long as they’re out of sight, they’re fine with it.”

However, Blind Brook junior Guy Golan took a more critical stance: “Students will find ways to use their phones regardless of who is telling them not to.”

Golan went on to say that "administrators rather than teachers" are the ones doing most of the enforcing, adding that he has witnessed students using their phones secretly in the bathrooms or in corners.

“Students are still able to use their phones when they feel it is necessary since faculty members cannot monitor them everywhere in the building,” Golan said, highlighting potential challenges in schools with more lenient storage policies.

As of this spring, at least 38 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cell phones in schools, according to an Education Week tally.

“I successfully fought for New York schools to go phone-free because our kids succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling — and these survey results show our nation-leading policy is working,” proclaimed Hochul.

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