NYC reverses course on banning cell phones in schools after neurotic parents push back

Schools in New York City will not to ban mobile phones for students after consultation after neurotic parents, probably all slaves to their own mobile phone addiction, opposed the idea.

Parents, who apparently couldn’t even remember a time in the not-too-distant past when cell phones had nothing to do with school, reported struggling to reach their children last month during a lockdown at two Upper West Side schools, Bloomberg wrote this week.

The Bloomberg report states that as a result, David Banks, the New York City schools chancellor, came out and said, “Now is not the time” to ban cell phones in schools.

“Parents said that ‘if there’s an emergency, I need to stay in touch with my child,’” he told Fox 5. He didn’t mention outraged parents threatening legal action, but if we had to take an unsupported guess, given what we know about New York City, we wouldn’t be surprised if that played a role as well.

That’s why Banks has reversed his position on a proposal to limit phone use for more than 1.1 million public school students on 1,800 campuses.

The Bank initially pushed for a ban, but acknowledged on Wednesday that a balanced approach is needed. Speaking to Fox 5 New York, he noted that while cell phones can be a distraction, they can also help students stay connected during emergencies.

According to Bloomberg, this shift comes as Banks prepares to leave office earlier than planned. He was originally scheduled to retire at the end of the year due to a corruption investigation, but his departure was postponed to October 16. Vice Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos will take the helm.

The change of heart followed a Sept. 12 lockdown at Frank McCourt High School and a nearby elementary school due to a false report of a shooter. Parents were frustrated by the lack of direct communication during the incident.

Remember, in May we published what happened when several schools banned cell phones. Our friends at The Epoch Times found that this resulted in improved academics, less bullying, and a reduced student need for guidance.

Citing a 73-page Norwegian newspaper, they wrote: “Banning smartphones significantly reduces healthcare use for mental health symptoms and diseases among girls.”

The article tracked data from recent decades, focusing mainly on the period 2010 to 2020.

The researcher found no negative consequences of introducing such a policy.

“The phones are an absolute distraction. Even if a child has the phone in his pocket during class, and every time the phone vibrates, which is constant, his mind automatically shifts from what the teacher is teaching to the phone,” says Tom Kersting , a psychotherapist who was a school counselor for 25 years, told The Epoch Times in agreement with the report’s findings.