Hochul begins push that would ban cell phones in schools

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Gov. Kathy Hochul is beginning a push that would ban cell phones in schools across the state.

Hochul began a statewide tour earlier this week to study the effects of social media use on teenagers. It comes on the heels of a landmark bill passed in the New York State Legislature last month that allows parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform’s algorithm.

New York City has already moved on its own to ban phones in schools, as well as Los Angeles and the state of Virginia.

Michael Cornell, the president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendent’s Association, said on Tuesday that cell phones are not much of an issue in elementary schools because not many children have them. Many middle schools require them to be turned off and put away during the school day, so the conversation largely revolves around high schools.

“High school kids is a lot more nuanced because we have to talk about time and place,” Cornell said. “What are the expectations around cell phones? There’s certain places where you can and certain places where you can’t. And that mirrors the world.”

Cornell stressed that it is not a black-and-white issue and could end up varying based on school districts. He said that he is looking forward to engaging with Hochul on the issue moving forward.

“That phone and the ubiquitous of that phone and social media makes the default setting for kids the virtual experience too often,” Cornell said. “And not the human, in-person interaction that’s such an important part of school and the learning experiences we have in classrooms.”

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here .