Gov. Kathy Hochul joined members of the New York state United Teachers to tackle the issue of cell phones in schools, an evolving problem according to educators. A recent poll found that 80% of NYSUT membership agreed phones and social media were having a negative effect on students.

“We come in ready to teach, and we're faced with our students being attached to their cell phones," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Jamie Ciffone. "And it lessens the amount of instructional time that we have with them, which is limited already. And it also takes away from the maximization of the learning time for our students.”

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Hochul spoke at "Disconnected," a conference hosted by the New York State United Teachers. 

  • The focus of the conference was how to reduce the negative effects that cell phones are having in schools. 

  • The governor also discussed social media, and the harm being done to kids by companies targeting them with ads. 

While most educators agree that cell phones don’t belong in the classroom, some parents aren’t as sure. They’re concerned about not having a connection to their kids in case of an emergency. Gov. Hochul says law enforcement officials have told her that having a phone in those situations could do more harm than good. 

“The last thing you want happening is for your child to be looking on their cell phone," she said. "Maybe videoing, sending messages, trying to go viral and not paying attention to the adult in the room who is trained to get them to safety.” 

The governor has made the issue of phones and social media addiction one of her top priorities. Months ago, she signed a first-in-the-nation bill to regulate social media algorithms for under 18 users. 

“They're taking information about your child, your student, and monetizing their mental health by bombarding them with advertising and messaging over and over and over again," she said. "They can go to social media sites if they want to. They can go to support groups. They can go where they want to go. But this is about them being on the receiving end of something they did not ask for.” 

Ciffone says forums like these are crucial because kids may not ask for help when dealing with social media and phone overload. 

“To begin this conversation and for me, as an educator, that's really exciting because educators want the best for students and we want to be able to maximize our time with them and have that be of their benefit," Ciffone said.