Schoolchildren in New York want to ban the use of smartphones

New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce a bill that would ban the use of smartphones in schools, reports Guardian.

“I've seen how these addictive algorithms get kids involved. They literally capture them and make them prisoners in a space where they are cut off from human connection, social interaction and normal educational activities,” the governor said.

Hokul said that this year she will present bill and will be considered in the next New York legislative session, which begins in January 2025. If the law is passed, schoolchildren will be allowed to carry simple phones that do not have access to the Internet but can send messages.

On the subject: Is it harmful to sleep next to a smartphone: how true are the scares about radiation and brain overheating?

Global measures

In the absence of federal action to protect children online, other states across the country are working to pass laws similar to those proposed in New York.

Earlier this year, Maryland and Vermont passed bill "Kids Code" despite staunch resistance from social media companies. Other states that have passed similar internet safety bills include Minnesota, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, South Carolina and Nevada. States are watching California's efforts to introduce a similar law, which was blocked by a federal judge.

Gadgets have a parental control function. However, it was not widely used.

“Meta itself admits that its own parental controls are not widely used. It is often confusing and often does not work as expected,” said Sasha Y, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project. This organization is dedicated to policy advocacy.

The biggest social media companies have faced growing scrutiny of the harm social media causes to children, including sextortion scams and deteriorating mental health.

At a January US Senate hearing on digital sexual exploitation, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was told he had "blood on his hands." Zuckerberg stood up and apologized to a group of gathered parents whose children committed suicide after being bullied on social media.

In December, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit against Meta for allegedly allowing its platforms to become a marketplace for child abductors. The suit cited a 2023 Guardian investigation that revealed how child traffickers were using meta-platforms, including Instagram, to buy and sell children for sexual exploitation.