New York’s Ban on Cellphones in Schools Is Going ‘Better Than Expected’

A new ritual marks the end of the school day at Brooklyn Technical High School this year. When the metal doors swing open, teenagers reach into their backpacks and rip open the school-issued Velcro pouches that have kept their cellphones out of reach since they arrived in the morning.

The sound of screens coming alive with hours of notifications is sweet relief to students who are struggling to adjust to life under a new state law that forbids smartphones, smartwatches, laptops or other internet-connected devices from bell to bell.

With one million students, New York City Public Schools is the largest district in the country to have banned students from using phones during the school day, although it is part of a growing national and international movement, with many states such as California and Louisiana implementing their own restrictions. Other countries, like China and France, have restricted phones in schools for years.

Since students returned to school in New York City on Thursday, the policy has generated intense debate in the hallways and in many homes, where some parents have expressed concern about not being able to reach their children in an emergency.

“I have a love-hate relationship with it,” said Raisa Ibnat, 16, a senior at Brooklyn Tech. “I do like the fact that my phone is away, and I’m more focused in class.”

But Ms. Ibnat said she was frustrated that she could not use her laptop, as she has for years.

“I don’t like the fact that I can’t do my homework in school, and I can’t take notes,” she said. “And because I have a long commute, now I have to bring, like, five notebooks.”

Other students said they used their phones for more than just scrolling TikTok and needed them to organize after-school activities on group chats or navigate their daily schedules.

But some said they also saw benefits.

“I think, personally, I have talked to more people than I normally would have,” said Mason Sui, who is 15 and a sophomore. “But other than that, I don’t think it’s positively affected my academics.”

About 800 schools are using pouches, 600 are using drop boxes or storage bins, and 500 are collecting them in the classroom, according to city education officials.

Margaret Joyce, a fourth-grade teacher at P.S. 35X in the Bronx, said she was worried before the school year started that enforcing the ban would take time out of the class day and that students would be stubborn about handing over their phones. But the ban was going “better than expected,” she said.

Only eight students came to school with phones on the first day, out of about 370 students, Ms. Joyce said. “Clearly, parents were hearing about the ban and hearing about the law and made the decision to leave their child’s cellphone at home,” she said.

Last school year, she said, she would catch students peeking at phones in their pockets or taking extra long bathroom breaks to watch YouTube.

Ms. Joyce is also experiencing the new policy as a parent, as her daughter now has to put the smartwatch she uses to stay in touch on her walk to and from middle school in a pouch when she arrives in the morning.

“I don’t want her spending time texting people during the day,” Ms. Joyce said. “I love that it’s not a distraction for her. And the same for the kids in my class.”

A growing number of states, including Florida, Oregon and Virginia, have also limited cellphone use in schools, although their policies vary. Some ban them during class but not during lunch or recess. Others direct districts to create their own policies. Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea have also imposed restrictions.

The policies have been driven by concerns about distractions in class, student mental health and cyberbullying. Mark Rampersant, the chief of safety for New York City Schools, called the city’s ban “long overdue” and said there had not been any major problems with enforcing it after the first three days.

“So far, so good,” he said, although he acknowledged some “growing pains” for students forced to part ways with their devices.

Michael Katz, 14, a sophomore at Brooklyn Tech, was among those encountering some unforeseen consequences during the school day.

“I lose all concept of time,” he said. “I can’t check the time, and the clocks are usually broken.”

Ethan Gonzalez, a seventh grader, immediately called his mother, Marie Gonzalez, as he searched for her in the crowd. Ms. Gonzalez said she supported limits on phones in school, but was concerned about not being able to reach her son in an emergency.

“How can I call my son to make sure that he’s OK?” she said. “It’s a little scary.”

Ethan, 12, said he was focusing better in class and had noticed that classrooms were a little louder. But he also wished he had access to his phone in school “just in case anything happens.”

Mr. Rampersand said schools have to provide a direct number for parents to call in an emergency. He also urged parents to update their emergency contact information in the district’s online portal.

While the phone-free experience is new for many, hundreds of New York City schools started enforcing bans last school year, before Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the statewide law. Teachers at some of those schools say the bans are working, even though the transition was rocky.

Nicole Keaster, a seventh-grade English teacher at I.S. 5 in Queens, which banned phones in May 2024, said the policy had become “routine at our school.” When students arrive, she said, they have to show staff members in the doorway that they have their phones inside a locked pouch.

“Kids have more time in class,” she said. “They’re not distracted by wanting to text message or wanting to go to the bathroom to look at their phone or putting on music. There is more time for learning; there is more time for conversation.”

Still, there have been infractions, she said. Some students have learned how to open the magnetically locked pouches or have put fake phones inside the pouches to try to fool staff members. In those cases, they may get a call home or detention.

“This is a learning curve for everybody,” Ms. Keaster said. “And if you’re willing to do that initial work and be uncomfortable in the beginning, it’s worth it.”