this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2026
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/41056130

At least 31 states and the District of Columbia restrict cell phones in schools

New York City teachers say the state’s recently implemented cell phone ban in schools has showed that numerous students no longer know how to tell time on an old-fashioned clock.

“That's a major skill that they're not used to at all,” Tiana Millen, an assistant principal at Cardozo High School in Queens, told Gothamist of what she’s noticed after the ban, which went into effect in September.

Students in the city’s school system are meant to learn basic time-telling skills in the first and second grade, according to officials, though it appears children have fallen out of practice doing so in an increasingly digital world.

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[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (7 children)

How is that even possible? The only clocks on display in my house are analog. Do people not have wall clocks? Do kids grow up never knowing what time it is? That's a standard household furnishing.

Then again, it does say some students, so I probably should assume it's a minority who never asked their parents what the fuck that thing on the wall was.

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (5 children)

the only clocks I have on display in my house are analog

That's a choice. You don't have to have any analog clocks. I don't currently have any. I dislike decorational clocks and strictly have digital clocks as informational devices where I want the time at a glance. Not to mention, I have 4 appliances in the kitchen with digital clocks (oven, microwave, drip coffee, keurig). Meanwhile, I absolutely hate audible ticking, so the only analogs I've bought are watches.

Also, as a former child, I can tell you children do not know what time it is. I also had digital clocks available the whole time, ranging from my dad's "James Bond" Casio, to the VCR flashing 12:00 all the time. Mostly, the pale teal VFD type.

It doesn't make sense to think of reading an analog clock as a necessary skill. It's like driving a manual car. Can you? I do it daily. I can count on one hand the number of times being able to drive stick saved me in an emergency situation by being the only transmission available (it's a closed fist). All the same, I have never been in an emergency situation that was dependent on my ability to read an analog clock

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's a choice to be stupid. When I was a child I was frustrated as hell I couldn't read the signs Bugs Bunny held up, so I was chomping at the bit to learn. And these kids see "circle clocks" and just figure, "Meh. Guess it will always be a mystery."

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

.-..


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Youre choosing to be esoteric.

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[–] bilouba@jlai.lu 0 points 1 week ago (2 children)

How is that surprising ? Why would kid learn a useless skill ? Yes it's useless if you always have a digital clock on you and only read time that way. Should they learn to read cuneiform too? Now that the phone ban is in place, they will learn to read analog clock since it's useful again.

[–] FEIN@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Cuneiform is an ancient writing system that died 1900 years ago. An analog clock (many of which are still around today) has hands that point to the numbers on the circumference. I don't think the two can be compared.

[–] Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world -3 points 1 week ago

You voted for this, New York! reeeEEE

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