Gov. Kathy Hochul joined with the Common Sense Media, a coalition representing 80,000 parents, educators, and children across New York State, on Tuesday to announce their support for a “bell-to-bell” distraction-free schools proposal, a plan aimed at addressing rising concerns over student mental health and academic distraction.
At the heart of the mission is the goal of eliminating smartphone usage during the school day, including the traditional classroom setting, lunch periods and study halls.
In a letter to the state legislature, Common Sense Media stated its unwavering support of Hochul’s proposal and pleaded with policymakers to consider its implementation.
“Constant digital distractions throughout the school day are hurting our kids,” Hochul said during a roundtable discussion with students, mothers, and educators. “Students should be learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling. Our research shows that a comprehensive, bell-to-bell approach will ensure the best results. I will never stop fighting to protect our kids.”
The proposal has garnered significant momentum among various stakeholders, including elected officials, school administrators, and parents concerned about children’s well-being in a digitally dominated landscape.
James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, underscored the urgency of the initiative.
“The evidence is clear: smartphones in classrooms are disrupting learning environments,” he said. “Governor Hochul’s proposal aims to support our students’ mental health, academic success, and overall well-being. We need to create spaces where students can engage fully with their learning while developing healthy digital habits.”
The proposed legislation aims to give schools the flexibility to create their own implementation plans concerning the ban on smartphones and internet-enabled devices. Additionally, it allocates $13.5 million for schools needing assistance in providing secure storage solutions for devices. The Governor’s plan also mandates that schools offer parents a way to contact their children during the school day and allows for exceptions based on individual needs, such as students with specific medical conditions or academic requirements.
Mothers Against Media Addiction Ambassador and child welfare attorney Muna Heaven, who participated in the roundtable discussion, applauded Hochul’s initiative.
“The time has come to re-establish some balance in our classrooms,” Heaven said. “This is a vital step towards ensuring our children can focus on learning without the incessant distraction of digital devices.”
The proposal resonated particularly with some students. Lilly Dooher, a junior at Massapequa High School, said the proposal would likely increase her participation in her classes.
“I’d love to experience an entire school day that’s free of phones and social media,” she said. ” I think that if we couldn’t look at our phones, my friends and I would feel much more relaxed and less anxious and distracted during our classes.”
The administration is advocating for the outlawing of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, a move that reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and its implications for safeguarding children. This proposed update to New York’s penal law aims to ensure comprehensive protections against such harmful content. This necessary shift comes in light of how easily accessible AI tools can amplify risks for youth.
“We must adapt our laws to address the misuse of AI in ways that threaten our children, including the emergence of apps that can alter images to create harmful content,” Hochul said.
The proposal also aims to regulate AI companionship services, which have been linked to rising concerns over youth mental health and self-harm. The legislation will require companies to implement rigorous safety features that remind users they are interacting with machine-generated responses, thereby minimizing the risks associated with such interactions.
“These technologies must be designed with safety in mind,” Hochul said.
Hochul’s push for these legislative changes received a warm response from advocacy groups and families alike, who see the pressing need to create a safer digital environment for children.
“Every day we wait to intervene makes it harder for our children,” noted Allison Devore, a member of the New York Advisory Council of Common Sense Media. “We cannot let another child suffer from mental health issues related to unchecked digital access.”
As part of the ongoing efforts to combat digital distraction and promote healthy media consumption, Hochul also announced the upcoming rollout of a comprehensive Media Literacy Toolkit for educators. This resource aims to equip teachers across the state with the necessary tools to help students become more discerning consumers of information, a skill vital in an era where misinformation is rampant.
The legislation will be implemented this September at the start of the 2025-26 academic year and will affect all public schools, charter schools, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services in New York.
