Plans to enforce new cellphone restrictions in the country’s largest school district are now on hold. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced, ahead of the start of the new school year, that the city needs more time to work on the plan before rolling it out.
With just a week until students head back to the classroom, Adams said he wants more feedback from parents. Regardless, adding some level of restriction is still expected this year.
There are already several schools in the city with cellphone bans in place. Adams explained that implementing a citywide ban involves more complexities.
The mayor pointed out that once the plan is officially announced, various factors would come into play. Discussions with the United Federation of Teachers about who will fund and manage the necessary pouches or other enforcement mechanisms will need to occur.
Adams also acknowledged previous attempts to ban cellphones. One ban during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration faced some pushback.
With the new school year fast approaching, many parents and educators are eager for rules to be clarified. The national conversation around cellphone use in schools is growing louder on both sides.
Just this past June, Los Angeles became the largest school district in the U.S. to ban cellphones. Entire states like Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota have also hopped on board to curtail cellphone use in schools.
There has also been pushback from students, with a number of districts across the nation seeing petitions from students coming out against these policies.
The next generation of the phone wars is here and it’s all about artificial intelligence. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, Google unveiled its latest lineup of Pixel phones at its annual showcase held a bit earlier than usual this year as it looks to be one step ahead of Apple when it comes to AI.
New AI functions include a voice conversation feature and a “magic editor” that can add a person to a photo who wasn’t in the original. All new phones will come with a free year of Gemini Assistant, normally a $20 monthly subscription.
Google’s new phones are available now to preorder. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are being released on Aug. 22. while the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold launch on Sept. 4.. The pricing for these new phones ranges from $800 to $1,800.
Students file petitions against cellphone bans in several states
High school students are petitioning against schools in several states across the U.S. as cellphone bans come into effect. Thousands in Florida, Louisiana and Nevada have signed such petitions, stating that they want access to their cellphones during school hours.
Broward County Schools in Miami, Florida, recently implemented new restrictions for student cellphone use. The new restrictions require students to store their phones throughout the day, including lunch hour, in airplane mode. Headphones are also barred from being worn by students during school hours.
Over 18,000 students and parents have already signed a petition in which they ask for a meeting to discuss these new regulations and explore adjustments to the policy.
Elsewhere, one student started a petition aimed at pushing schools to impart guidelines on responsible cellphone use, rather than outright bans. Kaytlin Villescas at Prairieville High School in Louisiana says she and her peers should be allowed access to their devices, which she argues are not just for communication, but are valuable tools in academic pursuits.
A third set of students have also joined with a similar petition in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 25,000 people have signed a petition there as the Clark County School District requires students in grades 6-12 to put their phones in signal-blocking pouches when they arrive at school each day.
The pouches keep a phone signal from reaching the device, and students will be instructed on where to keep their pouches, potentially on the student’s desk or a designated area within a classroom. The pouch will not lock, and keep devices accessible in case of an emergency.
The district said the effort “is to ensure a distraction-free and safe learning environment.” Devices such as laptops, cellphones, and tablets are still permitted for use during lunch periods, school activities, bus transportation and classroom periods with the approval of the school principal.
The petition in Nevada says the Clark County School Board should focus its attention on “more important issues,” such as beefing up funding for school lunches, teachers’ salaries and security for bullying and harassment.
So far, none of the schools have changed their policies due to the signed petitions.
The order directs Virginia’s Department of Education to help public schools create policies establishing what he calls “cell phone-free education.”
The state is putting $500,000 toward working with parents, students, teachers and community members to develop age-appropriate restrictions during instructional time. They will also develop protocols to help parents contact their kids if there’s an emergency.
We’re establishing cell phone-free education in schools benefiting students, parents and educators across Virginia. This essential action will promote a healthier educational environment where every child is free to learn. https://t.co/A6CA7htBt1
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) July 9, 2024
The order cites a teen mental health crisis and deteriorating academic achievement over the last decade as being partly driven by extensive social media and cellphone use. It also said the move will ensure kids spend less time on their phones without parental supervision.
In May, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects social media has on youth mental health. He’s also pushing to require tobacco-style warning labels on social media sites and apps.
Other states have taken similar action when it comes to phones in classrooms.
In 2023, Florida became the first state to prohibit the use of cellphones or other wireless devices during “instructional time” for K-12 students. In March, Indiana passed a law banning cellphones in class starting this upcoming school year.
Los Angeles Unified School District leaders recently took up a measure to ban cellphones and social media during instruction time. After that, California’s governor said he would also support a statewide ban. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, is set to announce a bill to ban cellphones in schools later in 2024.
Ohio’s governor also signed a new law in May that doesn’t go as far as to ban phones from classrooms, but it does require all districts create policies that seek to “minimize students’ use of cellphones.” Alabama’s state Board of Education passed a resolution earlier this year to “strongly encourage” districts to limit cellphone use in schools.
Similarly, Utah’s governor sent a letter to his state’s board of education about his concerns over cellphone use in class and said he’d support a ban on the devices in schools.
Federal lawmakers have also taken up the fight, although a federal ban on cellphones in schools is highly unlikely.
In November, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., filed a bill calling for a federal study on how cellphone use in schools is affecting students’ academic performance and mental health.
More parent screen time leads to more kid screen time: Study
If parents want to keep their kids from spending too much time in front of screens, they might want to look at their own habits. A new study published by Pediatric Research found the more time parents spend on cellphones or other screens around their kids, the more time kids tend to spend on them too.
For the study, researchers looked at the screen habits of more than 10,000 individuals aged 12 to 13 years old.
According to the study, 35% reported screen use during mealtimes and 46% said they had access to screens in their bedrooms. However, 67% said their parents monitored their screen time during the week. Another 72% said their parents also limited their time.
Researchers looked at how often the child’s parents engaged in tech-based activities. The study found parent screen use, family mealtime screen use and bedroom screen use were associated with more adolescent screen time. Research also showed those three scenarios could also lead to problematic social media, video game and mobile phone use.
Researchers characterized problematic screen use by “addiction-like traits such as tolerance (e.g., feeling the need to use more and more), relapse (e.g., trying to reduce use but unable to), mood modification (e.g., use to forget about problems), salience (e.g., spending a lot of time thinking about use), and conflict (e.g., use has had a bad effect on schoolwork or job), which may disrupt daily functioning.”
Another thing parents might want to stop doing is using screen time as a punishment or reward. The study found doing so was associated with higher screen time and greater problematic video game use, as well.
Researchers said the best thing parents can do to keep their kids off screens is monitor their usage and follow their own rules.
Putin, Kim sign comprehensive partnership agreement in North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin receives a grand welcome from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as the two leaders strengthen their partnership. And tense moments during the White House briefing as someone appeared to faint as dangerous temperatures grip the nation’s capital. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Putin, Kim sign comprehensive partnership agreement in North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on Wednesday, June 19, strengthening the ties between the two countries as Putin visits the north for the first time in 24 years. Putin was welcomed by Kim with a lavish ceremony filled with music and cheering crowds around midday local time.
The two then headed off for a summit where Putin thanked Kim for the North’s support in Russia’s war with Ukraine, adding Moscow is fighting the “imperialist policy” of the United States and its allies. In reply, Kim promised “full support and solidarity” to Russia in what he calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
The two leaders sat down for a two-hour meeting before signing the partnership agreement. Putin said the agreement includes a pledge that the nations help each other if either one is attacked.
The two countries are strengthening their relationship as both face multiple global sanctions — North Korea over its weapons program and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. officials believe North Korea is providing weapons to Russia in the war. Both Russia and North Korea deny those allegations.
U.S. soldier sentenced to nearly 4 years in Russian penal colony
A U.S. soldier has been sentenced to nearly four years in a Russian penal colony after being found guilty by a Russian court of stealing money from his girlfriend and threatening to kill her. Army Staff Sgt. Gordon Black was sentenced to three years and nine months Wednesday.
The judge also ordered black to pay 10,000 rubles (about $115) in damages.
According to Russian media, Black partially admitted guilt to theft charges but not to the threats.
Black’s case is just the latest to go to sentencing in a string of Russian arrests of Americans, including two the U.S. has declared as wrongfully detained: former Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Person appears to faint from heat during White House press briefing
The record-breaking heatwave hitting the U.S right now is more than just sweltering — it’s downright dangerous. A scare at the White House in the middle of a daily press briefing is highlighting just how dangerous heat can be, even indoors.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stepped off the podium Tuesday, June 18, to check on someone who appears to have overheated, before returning to the briefing.
AccuWeather is reporting the high temperature reached 94 degrees in Washington Tuesday. It’s also expected to get hotter as the week goes on, with the National Weather Service predicting a potential high of 99 degrees by Saturday, June 22.
The heat in D.C. is part of a bigger heatwave sweeping over the eastern U.S. right now. Meteorologists say around 270 million people will experience temperatures at or above 90 degrees this week.
The heat is not the only big severe weather event facing the U.S. right now. At least one person has been confirmed dead in New Mexico as two wildfires continue to burn.
The fires forced thousands to quickly flee their homes and fire officials say more than 500 structures have been destroyed by those fires so far.
However, forecasters said incoming cooler weather and the chance of rain could bring some relief this week to firefighters battling the blazes.
The Texas coast is under a tropical storm watch as what could soon become the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season approaches. The National Hurricane Center said heavy, potentially flooding rain is expected, with as much as 15 inches possible.
Los Angeles school district moves to ban cell phones during school day
People saying, “Back in my day, we weren’t using cell phones in school” may soon see that as a reality because of a case in the second-largest school district in America.
The Los Angeles Unified School District board moved forward with a plan Tuesday, June 18, to ban cell phones all day on campus. They said the devices distract students from learning, lead to anxiety and allowed cyberbullying.
“I’ve been struck in prior years just how our students are glued to their cellphones, not unlike adults,” school board member Nick Melvoin said. “They’re surreptitiously scrolling in school, in class time, or have their head in their hands, walking down the hallways. They’re not talking to each other or playing at lunch or recess because they have their AirPods in.”
The ban could soon spread even further. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, vowed Tuesday to severely restrict the use of phones during the school day statewide.
The move comes on the heels of the U.S. Surgeon General’s op-ed in the New York Times Monday, June 17, calling on Congress to approve “tobacco style” warnings on social media.
Nvidia becomes most valuable company in the world
Move aside Microsoft and Apple — Nvidia is now the most valuable company in the world. Propelled by its role in artificial intelligence, the computer chipmaker jumped to the top on Tuesday.
The company’s share price rose more than 3%, giving the company an overall market valuation of $3.34 trillion.
Nvidia controls approximately 80% of the market for chips used to power AI systems.
In the first quarter of the year, the company saw its revenue rise to $26 billion — up from $7 billion from 2023.
Baseball great Willie Mays passes away at 93
The baseball world is mourning the loss of one of the most legendary players of all time: Willie Mays. Mays passed away Tuesday in the Bay Area at 93 years old.
Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays spent 22 seasons in the big leagues, the majority with the Giants — both in New York and San Francisco.
He was part of the 1954 World Series championship team, highlighted by his over-the-shoulder catch during Game 1. That catch is considered to be the greatest in baseball history.
Among those remembering Mays is baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, who called Mays “one of the best ever to play the game and even a better person.”
One of the best to ever play the game and even a better person. Thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family and loved ones. https://t.co/kiyCbfBqOi
LA school district joins growing number of schools considering cellphone bans
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) leaders whose students are being distracted by their phones and social media during class time are looking to join a growing number of school districts that are banning cellphones and social media during instruction time. Leaders will vote on the resolution on Tuesday, June 17. Those who support the measure hope it will improve education and prevent online bullying.
If passed, the proposal only directs staff to come up with policies banning the use of social media and cellphones. Parents, students, staff, labor partners and experts would then give input on new policy. The school board would then have 120 days to approve the measure. If the board passes specific policies, they would take effect in January 2025.
Right now, ideas for ban enforcement range from adding cellphone lockers to blocking social media access on devices. Leaders are still debating penalties for students found using their phones.
Parents against the ban said that their kids need phone access to contact them during the day. Parents also said they already restrict their children from using their phones.
Some school leaders also opposed to the resolution argue that guidelines are already in place to prevent cellphone use in the classroom, they just need to be enforced.
One principal, who chose to remain anonymous, said that a ban is “overkill,” and that cellphone enforcement should be dealt with on a “case-by-case basis.” He added that it would also add an unnecessary workload to staff.
Other parents showed their support for the ban, but maintain that it needs to have real consequences, like actually taking away the phone.
Los Angeles education leaders said that social media and cellphones not only hurt academics but also increase anxiety, online abuse and physical violence. Students reportedly used phones to set up fights, film them and post the videos online. Advocates said that with limited access to phones during the day, this student violence could be reduced.
LA’s proposed move comes as a handful of states look to pass legislation that would ban the use of social media or cellphones in the classroom. Florida already blocked social media access and cell phone use during instruction while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, launched a plan to ban smartphones in schools.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul targets cellphones in schools
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., is leading a crusade across the state to address the issue of youth mental health. Her latest focus is the issue of cellphones in schools.
“This is the urgency that I am bringing to this cause,” Hochul said during a recent news conference. “Why I am investing a lot of my time, energy and political capital to say we can’t solve everything right now, but there’s one area where I know we can make a real difference. and this is the effects of the addictive, and the ‘addictive’ word is the one I’m focusing on. Addictive algorithms that are intended to bombard our young people when they scroll social media, and to draw them in deeper and make it harder for them to put down their device or to interact at a personal level with others.”
Hochul and her team spent the last year engaging with New York children and teenagers. Now, her office is ready to launch a set of bills aimed at online child safety. One of these bills, which is set to be announced later this year, proposes banning smartphones in public schools.
“Why are young people on their devices all day long during school hours?” Hochul asked while appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” earlier this week. “How are they learning? How are they multitasking the way that they’re checking out what everybody’s going to be doing this weekend and scrolling and seeing different feeds and listening to their geometry class?”
The governor later clarified her stance after pushback form parents.
“I’m okay if you have a flip phone your child wants to talk to you, or you need to have a conversation,” Hochul said. “They say, ‘Can you pick me up at 3 o’clock?’ Text them a message, but you don’t have to be in the world of social media throughout the day.”
Hochul vowed to continue conversations with parents and children before introducing the bill during next year’s legislative session, which begins in January 2025.
Notably, New York is not the only state addressing cellphone behavior during school hours.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a bill into law that requires public school districts to adopt or update policies related to student cellphone use. The bill contains rules aimed to limit phone usage as much as possible. It also includes potential bans on carrying phones on school grounds.
Ohio school districts have until July 2025 to implement the new policies.
A study by Common Sense Media reveals that 97% of students use their phones during school hours.
FCC fines major wireless carriers nearly $200M for sharing data
The Federal Communications Commission fined major wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing customer location data without consent. A 2020 investigation revealed that the carriers had been distributing users’ geolocation details to third parties, including to prisons. T-Mobile and Sprint merged after the investigation began.
Today, we fined the nation’s largest wireless carriers for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information without consent & without taking reasonable measures to protect that information against unauthorized disclosure. https://t.co/bv65Fr6Dbl
Despite promising to end these practices in 2018, the FCC said the companies took more than a year to actually stop them.
The carriers sold “real-time location information to data aggregators, allowing this highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
In a statement, AT&T argued that the order is unjustified and lacks legal and factual basis. The company claimed it was unfairly blamed for another company’s violations and that its efforts to rectify the issue were overlooked.
T-Mobile stated that it stopped sharing data with location-based services through third-party aggregators over five years ago. The carrier emphasized its commitment to protecting customer data but called the FCC’s decision incorrect and the fine excessive.
A Verizon spokesperson expressed the company’s dedication to customer privacy, noting that they terminated the offending party, ended the program, and took steps to prevent similar incidents.
The FCC stated that carriers are required to keep customer data private unless they have explicitly obtained user consent.
The carriers have expressed intentions to appeal, disputing the FCC’s findings and the legality of the fines.
Collateral damage: Why Apple’s iPhone sales are getting crushed in China
Apple’s iPhone sales are getting crushed in China. Sales of the smartphone dropped 19% in the first three months of 2024, the worst showing since COVID-19 hit. Meanwhile, sales from the Chinese smartphone maker Huawei surged nearly 70%, according to Counterpoint research.
China remains one of the biggest markets for Apple but the company has been dealing with less friendly territory lately. Multiple state-owned companies and government agencies are instructing employees to use local devices over foreign ones. That has had an increasingly chilly effect on Apple sales.
“I think that Apple’s not the target here, the U.S. is the target, and it’s China flexing its muscles,” said Doug Guthrie, director of China initiatives at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Guthrie worked for Apple in China from 2014 to 2019, advising executives on how to navigate the business environment under President Xi Jinping.
China is Apple’s third-largest market, accounting for nearly 20% of Apple’s total sales. When media outlets reported that Chinese central government workers may be banned from bringing iPhones to work back in September 2023, Apple’s stock fell 4% in one day. Since then, the iPhone restrictions have rippled to other municipalities and state-owned companies.
Guthrie said he doesn’t think China’s government is actually worried about the security of the iPhone. He said the move is part of a response to U.S. actions against China’s Huawei.
“This isn’t a signal to Apple. I think this is a signal to the U.S. and the world,” Guthrie said. “‘We have the most sophisticated manufacturing supply chain in the world and within a decade we’re going to be the largest economy in the world. And so if Janet Yellen wants to come over here and shake her finger at us and say, ‘We don’t really know how to run a market economy;’ we do, and we’re just as good as you.’”
“That’s really the signaling and the message,” he continued. “I think Apple and its sales in China are sort of collateral damage of that.”