From burner phones to decks of cards: NYC teens adjusting to the smartphone ban

Scope and Nature of the Ban

• Confusion over what’s “new”: commenters note phones were often already banned in class, but this NY rule covers the entire school day via lockers or locked magnetic pouches.
• Several argue the real change is consistent enforcement backed by administration and state law, not the idea of a classroom ban itself.
• Teachers previously hesitated to confiscate phones due to risk of conflict, parental complaints about “safety,” and liability if a device was lost or broken.

Ban vs. Teaching Responsible Use

• One camp: phones are too addictive; even adults can’t self-regulate. Removing them during school protects developing brains and reduces constant distraction; responsible-use lessons don’t require smartphones in school.
• Other camp: total bans just postpone the problem. Kids need guided experience to learn about manipulative apps, microtransactions, and self-control while parents can still coach them. Locked pouches and bag checks feel draconian to some.

Boredom, Socialization, and Alternatives

• Many celebrate the return of boredom: without phones, students talk more, play cards, chess, read, or just think. Loud, social lunchrooms are seen as a positive sign.
• Commenters link always-on social media to isolation and attention problems, contrasting it with slower, “long-form” activities like books or instruments.
• Several stress that if society wants kids off screens, it must also restore safe “third places” (malls, parks, hangouts) and stop over-structuring their time.

Parents, Culture, and Modeling

• Multiple reports of parents texting kids all day; school experiments show parents are a major source of notifications.
• Some say schools needed state-level cover precisely because so many parents insist on real-time contact.
• Strong emphasis on parental modeling: if adults treat phones as endless entertainment, kids will too; some parents deliberately go phoneless or restrict their own use around children.

Student and Technical Angle

• A current high-school senior describes switching to paper lists, a small notebook, and an iPod, but also using school iPads and technical workarounds (alt frontends, proxies) to reach blocked sites.
• Others note this “cat and mouse” with filters often sparks deeper technical curiosity.

Concerns and Open Questions

• Some fear a high-profile school shooting could politically reverse bans due to parental anxiety.
• Ongoing debate whether the core problem is the device itself or specific addictive services built on it.