First, the research is clear. 72% of high school teachers report that cell phones in classrooms cause a distraction. And we know from international studies that this is the case. Cell phones in classrooms are distracting and lower academic performance.
Second, cell phones affect academics and limit the face-to-face interaction that children and teens need to build social and emotional skills.
Third, surveys show that parents worry about school emergencies and after school logistics. But a bell-to-bell ban allows school administrators to implement a plan that works best for their schools. And the governor's Unplug and Play Initiative goes even further, investing in community spaces, playgrounds, swimming pools so children and teens have more healthy alternatives to social media use.
A bell-to-bell ban isn't just about taking cell phones away in classrooms. It's about promoting children's learning, and also promoting alternative community spaces where children and teens can thrive without social media.
Transcript
Hi, I'm Kimberly Kopko, senior extension associate and director of the Parenting Project at Cornell's Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. With New York implementing a bell-to-bell school phone ban, here are three things you should know.
First, the research is clear. 72% of high school teachers report that cell phones in classrooms cause a distraction. And we know from international studies that this is the case. Cell phones in classrooms are distracting and lower academic performance.
Second, cell phones affect academics and limit the face-to-face interaction that children and teens need to build social and emotional skills.
Third, surveys show that parents worry about school emergencies and after school logistics. But a bell-to-bell ban allows school administrators to implement a plan that works best for their schools. And the governor's Unplug and Play Initiative goes even further, investing in community spaces, playgrounds, swimming pools so children and teens have more healthy alternatives to social media use.
A bell-to-bell ban isn't just about taking cell phones away in classrooms. It's about promoting children's learning, and also promoting alternative community spaces where children and teens can thrive without social media.