NEW YORK CITY – Could New York City ban cell phones from classrooms this school year?

New York City officials say cell phone use in school has become a distraction and an addiction.

Note: Students who bring a cell phone to school may only use it in accordance with their school’s cell phone policy.

FILE – Students use their cell phones in class. (Photo by Roland Weihrauch via Getty Images)

According to NYC 311, students are currently allowed to bring their cell phones, computers, portable music and entertainment systems to school. However, there is no official ban on cell phones in New York City schools.

David Banks, chancellor of New York City schools, said the ban could come into effect as early as January 2025.

RELATED: New Jersey school district bans all wireless devices: Explaining new policy

Previously, Los Angeles voted in June to ban students from using cell phones and social media during school hours.

NYC School Chancellor on cell phone bans

Now the largest school district in the country wants to follow suit and introduce a plan to prevent cell phone use in schools.

“They’re not just a distraction. Kids are now completely addicted to cell phones,” said David Banks, Chancellor of New York City Schools, on Good Day New York. “We’re going to ban cell phone use in schools…”

Banks says he has spoken to hundreds of school principals across the city who have told him, “Pick up the phones.”

Could cell phones be banned in New York schools?

In short: There is currently no ban on mobile phones in schools.

Nearly two decades ago, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg enacted one of the country’s toughest phone bans, which was repealed in 2014 by former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

In an opinion piece in the New York Post, Bloomberg calls for New York City to reinstate its ban on students using cell phones during school hours.

Note: Each school has its own cell phone policy.

“The ban was one of many policy changes that allowed us to transform the school system in ways that dramatically improved student achievement,” Bloomberg writes.

He said his administration had done so “despite the storm of protests it sparked” and Mayor Adams should do the same.

However, parents and guardians say they fear losing contact with their children in emergency situations such as a school shooting.

New York: Social media ban

In June, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law to combat social media addiction among children that would allow parents to regulate their children’s algorithms.

Now Hochul is also considering banning mobile phones in schools.

Hochul has not commented on whether she would ban cell phones entirely, but said she would consider a flip phone that would allow students to send only text messages.

The move came amid concerns about social media addiction among children.

Based on content described in the legislation as “addictive,” the bill would:

• Prevent platforms from showing suggested posts (considered “addictive”) to people under 18.
• Block platforms that send notifications of suggested posts to minors between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent.
• Only show posts from accounts they (children) follow

The bill would allow minors to continue to view suggested posts if they have “verifiable parental consent,” as defined in the bill.

How can teachers get their students to put their phones away?

ILLUSTRATION – A fifth-grader at a high school uses the search function on her smartphone. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa (Photo by Daniel Reinhardt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Educators say their tried-and-true lesson plans are no longer enough to hold students’ attention as they suffer from mental health issues, shortened attention spans, lower attendance and poorer academic performance. At the heart of these problems? Cellphone addiction. Now adults are trying new strategies to overcome the discomfort.

Here are some ways teachers can help students take their eyes off their cell phones:

1. Lock them up: Cell phone bags, lockers and containers are becoming increasingly popular to help enforce device bans.
2. Do something (else): Some schools also lock away smartwatches and wireless headphones. But the bags stop working once the final school bell rings. Students can form clubs around interests like board games and knitting, or join neighborhood basketball leagues.
3. Go outside: Thirteen middle schools in Maine took a similar approach, taking students outdoors for a total of 35,000 hours during a select week in May. Teachers adapted their classes to take place outdoors, and students socialized outdoors during lunch and recess.
4. Request to parents: Some teachers believe that parents also need to change the cell phone culture in their families.
5. Fears of rejection: Some say that cell phones only exacerbate other causes of youth lack of engagement. The divisive political climate often means students don’t want to participate in class when everything they say can be broadcast across the school on a messaging app.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.