Current:Home > MarketsStudents say their New York school's cellphone ban helped improve their mental health-LoTradeCoin
Students say their New York school's cellphone ban helped improve their mental health
View Date:2024-12-23 19:40:57
Newburgh, New York — At Newburgh Free Academy in New York, cell phones are locked away for the entire school day, including lunch.
Students like Tyson Hill and Monique May say it is a relief after constantly being on their phones during the COVID-19 lockdown, when screen time among adolescents more than doubled, according to a study last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.
"I blame my darkest moments because of my phone," Tyson told CBS News.
May said phone and social media use during this time was entirely to blame for her mental health struggles.
"All of it, for me personally," May said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 57% of high school girls in the U.S. felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, double that of boys.
May disclosed she sometimes felt bullied or isolated after looking at social media.
"Throughout my middle school experience, like there was a lot of people talking about you, whether it be on Snapchat, posting a story that made fun of the way you looked," May said. "It made me feel depressed."
In May, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects of social media on youth mental health.
"The youth mental health crisis is the defining public health issue of our time," Murthy told CBS News. "If we do not address it with urgency, then I worry we will lose an entire generation of children to depression, anxiety and suicide."
Murthy said he would consider calling for "restrictions" on the use of smartphones during school hours.
"I do think that we should have restrictions on phones in the school setting," Murthy explained. "We fundamentally have to understand that these devices, and in particular social media, is behaving largely as addictive element."
Ebony Clark, assistant principal at Newburgh Free Academy, says banning phones has helped cut down on online bullying.
"All I'm doing is giving them the opportunity to engage in school and leave the drama outside these doors," Clark said.
May said she's experienced improvements in her mental health because of Newburgh's phone restrictions.
"I'm more confident in who I am," May said. "And I think that just comes from not being able to worry about what other people are saying about me. Just being me."
- In:
- Cellphones
- Social Media
- Mental Health
- Bullying
Meg Oliver is a correspondent for CBS News based in New York City.
TwitterveryGood! (3372)
Related
- Wreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking
- Steelers players had heated locker-room argument after loss to Browns, per report
- Jalen Milroe's Iron Bowl miracle against Auburn shows God is an Alabama fan
- Supporting nonprofits on GivingTuesday this year could have a bigger impact than usual
- A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
- Coming playoff expansion puts college football fans at top of Misery Index for Week 13
- Black Women Face Disproportionate Risks From Largely Unregulated Toxic Substances in Beauty and Personal Care Products
- A high school girls basketball team won 95-0. Winning coach says it could've been worse
- The Office's Kate Flannery Defends John Krasinski's Sexiest Man Alive Win
- Plaquemine mayor breaks ribs, collarbone in 4-wheeler crash
Ranking
- Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris
- Rural medics get long-distance help in treating man gored by bison
- Jalen Hurts runs for winning TD in overtime, Eagles rally past Josh Allen, Bills 37-34
- Still looking for deals on holiday gifts? Retailers are offering discounts on Cyber Monday
- Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy a Broadway Date Night and All that Jazz
- Texas A&M aiming to hire Duke football's Mike Elko as next head coach, per reports
- Terry Venables, the former England, Tottenham and Barcelona coach, has died at 80
- India’s LGBTQ+ community holds pride march, raises concerns over country’s restrictive laws
Recommendation
-
High-scoring night in NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes for 59, Victor Wembanyama for 50
-
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter were not only a global power couple but also best friends and life mates
-
Where to watch 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer': TV channel, showtimes, streaming info
-
Beyoncé films to watch ahead of 'Renaissance' premiere
-
Natural gas flares sparked 2 wildfires in North Dakota, state agency says
-
‘Hunger Games’ feasts, ‘Napoleon’ conquers but ‘Wish’ doesn’t come true at Thanksgiving box office
-
Flight data recorder recovered from US Navy plane that overshot the runway near Honolulu
-
Shania Twain makes performance debut in Middle East for F1 Abu Dhabi concert