NYSUT, Shine On! discuss phone-free schools

PLATTSBURGH | On Wednesday, Feb. 5, NYSUT and Shine On! convened a community conversation about bringing phone-free schools to the North Country. A panel of experts, moderated by WCFE-TV Mountain Lake PBS Anchor Thom Hallock, dove into questions, concerns and successes of distraction-free learning in light of Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal for bell-to-bell restrictions on cellphones and smart devices during the school day. Panelists included Maria Fernandez, NYS Deputy Secretary of Education; Aron Steward, Chief of Psychology at UVM Health Network; David Rounds, president of the Bethlehem Central Teachers Association; and Elizabeth Mitchell, organizing director for Mothers Against Media Addiction. They each spoke of the severe impact of constant cellphone and social media use on kids' mental health and social lives. "We're seeing a child now who can't have a face-to-face conversation," Steward said. "Their entire identity is based on what is happening in their online life. … It is a community and culture that has no rules." The governor's proposal is the result of listening conversations across the state, warnings from the nation's top health experts, and broad support from teachers, parents, school counselors and safety experts. "It's just time," Fernandez said. "If it were anything else — like cigarettes — that was harming our children, we would stop it." Rounds shared the positive impacts he has seen among high schoolers since his district's bell-to-bell restrictions went into effect 18 months ago, including social engagement in the halls, increased attendance and fewer disciplinary actions. "When I used to walk past the cafeteria, it was dead silent, because the kids were all staring at the phones," Rounds said. "And this year, I walked past the cafeteria and — no joke — there were 20 kids singing Christmas carols. It's a loud, robust place now, and it hasn't been like that for years." They also discussed support from law enforcement, who say that in school emergencies, cellphone access and outside contact can often exacerbate bad situations. "When the worst things happen, law enforcement want your kids paying attention to the adults in the room," Mitchell said. "There are experts who have weighed in on this … as much we want to be there with our child in that moment, we want to make sure our child survives that moment." Shine On! also released new data from a survey of more than 600 North Country parents about their children's digital media and cellphone use.

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NYSUT, Shine On! discuss phone-free schools

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