(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - Nearly 500 people attended the New York State United Teachers’ (NYSUT) Disconnected Conference on Friday (September 20th), where they delved into one of the most critical education issues of our time: The effects of cellphones, Social Media and technology on schools, learning and mental health.

Attendees included New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew, Elected Officials, Educators, parents, students, Administrators, School Board Members and Superintendents.

“Those of us who are in schools every day see that the constant use of personal electronics - not just phones, but earbuds, watches and other distractions - are impacting our students’ ability to focus, to connect with their fellow students, to be present in reality and to engage in authentic learning,” NYSUT President Melinda Person said.  “All of our partner organizations care deeply about children and education and that is why we are all coming together to sound the alarm.  We have circled the problem, we know the challenges that we face in our classrooms every day, and we’re here today to talk about potential solutions.”

The summit marked a pivotal step as officials determine future policies surrounding Social Media and cellphones in schools to safeguard students’ mental health and support authentic learning, Governor Hochul said: “I can say there’s no stopping us.  We could not have imagined a day like today a year ago - to have so many people here willing to stand up and do what is right.  We will look back at this time and say we finally saved the next generation of kids and it all started in a room like this right here in Albany.”

During the day-long summit in Albany, attendees explored research around Social Media and technology addiction.

They also heard from leaders who are advocating for and implementing policy change and they examined the impacts of technology on school safety, child development and health outcomes.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said: “To relationships, coping, problem solving and to what both parents and educators need to do for kids to prepare them to navigate their world, this is a hugely, not just disruptive, but problematic, source of undermining that.  And you see that across the country.”

UFT President Mulgrew said: “Look how much time children spent on these devices during the (Coronavirus) Pandemic and now we have all of the medical research that says this is a harmful thing to our students.  So as Educators, it's in all of our DNA to protect our students from harm and that has to be part of this conversation.”

Through the coming weeks and months, Leaders pledged to continue listening to the voices in their shared goal of what is best for New York’s children.

“We are determined to work together to find a solution that works, not only for every school, but all the people that care about our schools, including parents and students,” New York State Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer said.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: Disconnected: A convening exploring the impact of cellphones, social media and technology on children, schools and learning. (nysut.org)