Phone Ban

by Imran Rafeek and Aryan Ismail

Starting in the fall of 2025, New York State implemented a statewide ban on any kind of personal electronic device on public school campuses during school hours. Under the rules, if a student is seen with a phone, tablet, or any kind of non–school-issued device, the device will be confiscated. The student or their guardian may pick up the device at the end of the school day. In the Valley Stream Central High School District, students must put home devices in their lockers at the beginning of the day and remove them at the end of the school day. Exceptions to this rule are for students in 10th to 12th grade who go off campus for lunch.

You may be wondering why the state would do this. Well, there are many good reasons that New York State made this rule. In class or even during lunch, students may spend time on their phones instead of doing work or studying for an upcoming quiz or test, which could affect their grades. When on their phones, students end up keeping to themselves instead of socializing and talking to others. Lastly, this rule would lower cheating rates during exams by making sure kids do not use their phones to look up answers during a test.

However, there are also criticisms of the plan. First, a student could get anxious during school and want to text their parents about something, such as a lockdown or fire. When schools try to enforce this rule, students may forget about it or simply choose not to follow it. Lastly, students get bored during free periods like lunch, when they must sit without any entertainment.

We interviewed a few students for their opinions on this new regulation, and here are their responses:

Anonymous, age 13 – Male “I used to use my phone in class to check the time and during lunch when I was bored. Now I am required to store it in my locker throughout the entire school day. This can be annoying because sometimes it is hard to see the clock from certain seats in the classroom, and although the new recess policy is good, it does come with its flaws.”

Anonymous, age 14 – Male “I think the phone ban is alright, but I don’t like the fact that we cannot use it during lunch to call my family or for entertainment. This also limits my communication with my mom when I need to go to a club or anything.”

Anonymous, age 15 – Female “I don’t really feel like the ban did much of anything. I text my mother all the time at the end of the day during 9th period to tell her if I have any clubs or need to go to extra help. Also, I think that the teachers and staff around the building aren’t trying too hard to enforce it.”

Overall, students have mixed feelings about the recent policy because of entertainment and communication reasons. What do you think about the ban? Love it or hate it, it gets the job done.