New York governor's smartphone ban: This is what parents want, Kathy Hochul says

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed a complete ban on the use of smartphones in school for students. However, she has faced resistance from Democrats in the state senate who are trying to tone down her proposal.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed a complete ban on student smartphone use during the entire school day. However, her plan is facing resistance from Democrats in the state Senate, who favour a less restrictive approach.

Hochul's plan, known as a "bell-to-bell" ban, students would be prohibited from using smartphones throughout the school day. While the Senate’s budget resolution suggests banning phone use only during classroom or instructional time.

Speaking at a press event in Albany, Hochul said, "This is what the experts say, this is what the parents want, this is what the teachers want." She was quoted by the New York Post.

The Senate's proposal would allow school districts to decide whether they want to enforce the ban even outside the classroom or during non-instructional time.

The governor also criticized the Senate's more lenient proposal, arguing that limiting the ban to classroom hours would place an extra burden on teachers. “If the student had it banned during the class, then they have it during recess, and then they come back and the next teacher has to be the enforcer. And, then the next teacher after gym class has to be the enforcer,” Hochul explained.

The debate comes amid growing concerns about excessive smartphone use among students. A study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute, state that students aged 13 to 18 spend about a quarter of their school time on their smartphones.