Heading into 2024, we were hearing from educators and parents constantly: Addiction to social media and electronic devices was having a hugely detrimental effect on our children and the problem was just getting worse.

In our April/May edition of NYSUT United, we began telling teachers' and parents' stories about the deep effects of cellphones and social media.

NYSUT's advocacy began by championing landmark legislation like the SAFE for Kids Act and the Child Data Protection Act to hold tech companies accountable. But we knew the fight was far from over.

After hearing from countless teachers and parents over the course of the year about the damaging effects of cellphones and digital distractions in schools, and inspired by the success of the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, NYSUT decided to take an active role in pushing for a solution in our schools.

In September 2024, NYSUT convened the Disconnected Conference, a powerful gathering of more than 500 educators, parents, students, healthcare professionals and law enforcement. We shared stories, examined the data, and united around a clear solution: New York needed a statewide, bell-to-bell policy to restrict cellphone use in schools. Following the conference, NYSUT hosted regional events across the state to build momentum and lobby for the new law.

By the end of 2024, a coalition of educators, parents, students, law enforcement officials, legislators and concerned community groups united to call for a statewide, bell-to-bell cellphone ban in New York schools.

By early 2025, it was clear that this advocacy was having an impact. In January, Gov. Hochul came out in full support of a bell-to-bell policy, as NYSUT had been advocating for.

For the next few months, NYSUT worked in coalition with the governor, parent groups, law enforcement, and other education advocacy groups to push the NYS Legislature to pass the bell-to-bell law.

NYSUT also held several regional Disconnected conferences to keep the issue alive and add more voices to the chorus calling for the bell-to-bell restrictions to be enacted.

The bell-to-bell cellphone policy was passed through the Legislature. Governor Hochul came to NYSUT headquarters for a celebratory event to mark the moment. 

In her remarks, the governor said, "There were those who were opposed. Those who said it couldn't be done, and they tried to spread misleading information about this, but they sure as heck didn't know who they were messing with because I had 700,000 members of NYSUT on my side... and we got it done."

New York joins California, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Carolina as states with some statewide policy. New York is the largest state to enact a statewide bell-to-bell phone-free school policy.
This is a national movement recognizing technology addiction as a public health issue. Fifteen more states have pending legislation to tackle this problem.