Governor Hochul Touts Phone Ban Success

ALBANY, NY—New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide ban on smartphones and online devices in schools on May 26, 2025, with the intent to increase focus in the classroom and protect student mental health. At a recent press conference in August, the governor had already declared the ban a huge success, pointing to statistics that show increased social interactions and student engagement as a result of phones no longer being allowed in schools. She mentioned that the average quality of life among students has increased by one percent, while Wi-Fi usage on school networks has decreased by three percent; however, the sources of these statistics have not yet been found. Alongside her PowerPoint presentation, she brought out a panel of school employees and students from all across the Empire State to testify about the policy’s effects. 

Al Gorithm, a middle schooler from Long Beach, praised the new rule for opening his eyes about the importance of using the human mind, not technology, for schoolwork. “Before this, I’d use ChatGPT to do my math work even if it gave me the wrong answers. When I heard about the phone ban, I worried that I would have to do my work myself! I don’t know why they’re obsessed with going back to the way they did it in 2000.” said Gorithm. “Now, I just copy off my table-mate, Billy, the old-fashioned way! My grades have never been better!” he exclaimed as he held up his test and his classmate’s, a big red 100 percent on top of both. 

Pleas Ban-Fones, an Environmental Studies teacher in Rochester, spoke positively about the ban’s profound impact on classroom focus: “Lessons have become much more productive. The students are just so engaged and listen much better when phones are stowed away in pouches,” Ban-Fones said.

“But that’s not to say the adjustment has been easy. I’m still very accustomed to the use of personal technology in the classroom; in fact, I make my lesson plans with AI and need to ask AI for help with some of these questions these kids ask me,” she added, referring to her AI-generated cue cards. “But it’s a great thing they can’t use AI in class now. They’re wasting so much water, so if I’m the only one using it, then it’s damage control! It’s honestly amazing. Let me know if you’d like any more tweaks–ChatGPT™!” 

Adding on to Ban-Fones’s experience with the phone ban, Twee Nuht-Alrgey, a dean in Ithaca, claimed the phone policy has been a big success, as it pushes students to be more creative. “The kids at my middle school have been very clever when circumventing the phone policy,” the dean said. “Some students sew zippers onto the pouches. One kid swallowed a rare earth magnet and turned his stomach into a Yondr opener, which is very impressive.” 

“Of course, there are always a few who put something like a calculator in place of a phone. Heck, one student filled her Yondr pouch with peanut M&Ms, to which I’m deathly allergic. This ban has truly brought out hidden ingenuity in these students,” said the dean as they held up the confiscated Yondr pouch of M&Ms, face and throat slowly swelling as their testimony continued.

Tekh Brogh, a technology repairman working for a high school in White Plains, said the ban has had an indirect positive effect on his life. “Because phones are banned, students have to use school-issued Chromebooks, which break easily. The kids at my school treat them incredibly poorly, sticking lead in the USB ports and dropping them off desks for clout on the internet. They call these shenanigans ‘0.5 GPA activities,’” said the repairman, who then brought out a smoking Chromebook to show the crowd. 

After the smoke alarm went off, people evacuated, and the venue was properly drenched in flame-retardant spray, the repairman continued his testimony outside. “This isn’t a totally bad thing for me, though. The number of school devices I fix determines my pay, so since the ban, my salary has gone through the roof! Bahamas, here I come!”

Despite the ban’s countless benefits, it still has its fair share of critics. At a political rally on Staten Island, mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo denounced the ban, expressing his concerns that “severing a vital line of communication between me—I mean, parents like me—and uh, vulnerable—teenagers during the school day would be detrimental to their safety.” 

In addition, a few companies have also cited the ban as detrimental to business. The company Supercell blamed the phone ban for decreasing overall use of its video game: Brawl Stars. A Supercell representative said to The Spectator, “Most of our players are bored nerds who whip out their phones during class and play Brawl Stars. If cellphones are banned, then what are they supposed to do, play on their Chromebooks? They aren’t dedicated to installing emulators on these laptops, right?” It seems not, as the number of people playing Brawl Stars during school hours has gone down by 66.7 percent. However, interestingly, the number of people playing Brawl Stars after school hours has increased by 123.4 percent, so the ban hasn’t stopped students from playing the game; it’s just changed the time when students play it. 

The statewide cellphone ban in New York has proven itself controversial among students and adults alike. With all the mixed opinions on the ban, it might be too early to determine the ban’s staying power, but it’s clear that Governor Hochul does not plan to go back any time soon. Ultimately, the phone ban has proven itself to be beneficial, even if students still want to use their devices during school hours.