Stony Brook baseball right-handed pitcher Eddie Smink allowed one run over five innings, and the Seawolves out-hit Florida Gulf Coast 10-8 on Feb. 21..However, the Eagles scored five runs in the eighth inning to secure a 6-1 victory in the series opener.
HOW IT HAPPENEDErik Paulsen lined out to start the game before Evan Goforth and Johnny Pilla recorded back-to-back hits. FGCU, however, turned a line-drive from Nico Azpilcueta into a double play to end the frame.
Smink struck out the first batter he faced but allowed back-to-back hits and later hit a batter to load the bases. He escaped the jam with a line-out to keep FGCU scoreless.
Chanz Doughty led off the second inning with a double to left-center, but the Eagles retired the next three Stony Brook hitters. Smink responded with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters.
FGCU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double to left-center. Smink stranded runners on second and third to limit the damage.
Smink came up big again in the fourth, ending the frame with a two-out strikeout while stranding a runner on third.
Chris Carson walked, and Matt Miceli singled to give the Seawolves runners on second and third with one out in the fifth. However, a line-out and ground-out ended the threat. Smink stranded another runner in scoring position to conclude his outing.
Stony Brook continued to apply pressure in the sixth, putting two runners on with two outs, but a diving catch by Nicholas Solorzano ended the frame.
Left-hander George Adams entered in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a batter with one out but striking out the next two to escape unscathed.
The Seawolves went down in order in the seventh. Adams responded by retiring three of four batters to keep the deficit at one.
Goforth led off the eighth with a single, but a line-drive double play quickly put the Seawolves down to their final out. Azpilcueta restarted the rally with a single, and pinch-runner James Schaffer stole second. Doughty delivered a game-tying RBI single to right-center, making it 1-1.
FGCU regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth, capitalizing on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch followed by a grand slam to seal the 6-1 victory.
Next up, the team returns to action on Feb. 22 for the second game of the three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Allison Wong with her project. Photo by Kelly Gwydir
By Daniel Dunaief
Over 150 students around Long Island recently caught the science bug.
Allison Wong with Marivia Fernández-Serra. Photo courtesy of Kelly Gwydir
Students from kindergarten through 12th grade made one-minute videos to celebrate historic women in science as a part of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science’s (IACS) second annual competition.
Contestants in the Stony Brook University challenge described their connection with women who sometimes operated in the scientific shadows, while they also described an experiment they did that highlighted an important concept or achievement from the work of historical role models.
“We want to recognize the importance of women in the history of science and engineering,” said Mónica Buggalo, a co-chair of the event and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeringand at the IACS. Despite the young age of some of the participants, Buggalo was “blown away by how confident they are. It’s unbelievable.”
On Feb. 13, in honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the finalists provided a two-minute summary of their work and then the IACS named the winners, who will receive cash prizes.
Baylee Stanton from Saxton Middle School and Allison Wong from Lynbrook South Middle School were tied for first place. Each of them will receive $875.
“I’m really proud of myself because this is a pretty advanced topic,” said Wong.
The students presented their one minute videos on any of 10 women.
Wong selected Katherine Johnson, whom she had studied in fourth grade during Black History Month.
“She inspired me to keep learning,” said Wong.
Allison Wong describing her project. Photo by Kelly Gwydir
After describing Johnson, who was one of the scientists featured in the movie “Hidden Figures” and for whom two NASA facilities are named, as an “African American mathematician who fundamentally transformed the field of aerospace engineering,” Wong went on to describe her project.
She set up an experiment using a catapult and four projectiles, in which she recorded the flight time and distance for a ping pong ball, cotton ball, bottle cap and marble. She recorded these measurements five times each at three different angles.
In an interview, Wong suggested that Johnson’s legacy is important as she calculated trajectories for the first US manned space flight and for Apollo 11.
Wong, who wants to be a doctor when she grows up, explained that the experience of competing made her feel “really inspired.”
She plans to put the money into a bank account and hopes to use it later in life.
Allison’s father David Wong was thrilled with the program and hopes it grows exponentially over the years, as the experience about researching women role models is inspirational.
David Wong said he himself knew about three of the scientists the contestants profiled, including Rosalind Franklin, who helped determine the double helical structure of the genetic material DNA and Marie Curie, who conducted ground breaking research on radiation and was the first woman to earn a degree from the University of Paris.
The opportunity to learn about the other scientists on the list was “eye opening,” David Wong said.
Designing a paper bag
Lucy Jane Sammarco. Photo courtesy of Samarco family
While many grocery shoppers might take the paper bag for granted, that is not the case for Hampton Street second grader Lucy Samarco.
Samarco learned about Margaret E. Knight, who had 27 patents and 100 inventions and was called “Lady Edison.” Knight developed the machine that created the flat bottomed paper bag, which is still in use today.
Samarco, who won an honorable mention for her entry and will collect $300 from the IACS, said the morning announcements in school included her result in the competition.
Her classmates clapped for her, which made her smile.
Samarco, who made a volcano that included baking soda, white crystals and water the weekend after the competition, wants to be a scientist when she grows up. Her favorite animal is the pink parrot.
Lucy’s mother Tricia Samarco was overwhelmed with emotion.
Lucy Jane Sammarco. Photo courtesy of Samarco family
All the competitors, who were mostly but not exclusively girls, were “absolutely amazing,” said Tricia Samarco. She said she was impressed with their confidence and their ability to speak in public.
Mike Samarco, Lucy’s father, was concerned that the project might be too challenging for Lucy and that he and his wife might not be able to offer much help.
“She kept coming back and saying, ‘This project looks exciting,” Mike Samarco said. Eventually, Lucy’s enthusiasm won the day.
Ultimately, Lucy has no shortage of ambition or ideas, suggesting she wanted to discover things, change the world and, perhaps, become president.
Strawberry DNA
Julia and Valerie D’Amico. Photo courtesy of D’Amico family
Mineola sisters Julia and Valerie D’Amico, who took home an honorable mention in last year’s competition, received a third place prize for their description and experiment on Franklin.
“She played a great part in discovering DNAs double helical structure,” said Julia, who is in 7th grade at Mineola Middle School. “We were inspired by her.”
The tandem, who received $500 for coming in third, conducted an experiment to extract DNA from a strawberry.
“It was cool seeing how you could do it,” said Valerie, who is in third grade at Jackson Avenue School. Valerie has longer term ambitions to study archeology.
Julia suggested that some of the women scientists from earlier times might have confronted biases against them if they were interested in science or math.
The combination plans to enter the contest again next year as well.
Enriching and enjoyable
Marivia Fernández-Serra, who also co-chaired the event and is a professor in Physics & Astronomy and at the IACS, appreciated how much fun the participants have.
She enjoys watching them take pictures with their scientists.
Fernández-Serra described the event as a “celebration of students.
The goal was of what she described as an “outreach activity” was to “get students excited about doing science and doing research and aspiring to come and start degrees at universities.”
Fernández-Serra suggested that the IACS may break the competition down into different age groups, with entries from elementary, middle school and high school.
Buggalo is thrilled that student competitors are demonstrating interest that extend beyond the challenge.
“There is a lot of excitement about science,” said Buggalo. “Some of them ask about opportunities that the university offers. We do have summer camps and academic activities in research.”
Think about your favorite song. What about it lifts your spirit? Maybe it’s the lyrics that feel so relatable, or the catchy melody that gets stuck in your head for days. For many people, though, good music is all about rhythm — a driving beat that makes you bob your head and want to dance.
The Stony Brook University Orchestra is tuning up to celebrate the power of rhythm at their annual Family Orchestra Concert on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The hour-long performance is meant to expose listeners of all ages to classical music in a relaxed, lighthearted atmosphere.
Alicja Paruch
The orchestra is comprised of more than 70 Stony Brook students from all backgrounds. Some are music majors or minors, while others are studying in STEM fields and race from the lab to rehearsals. Conductor Susan Deaver scours the university’s music collection each year to find pieces that work well together and create a unique theme.
“I tried to highlight a variety of different rhythms with this concert, not just from piece to piece but also varying rhythms within the pieces as well,” said Deaver of this year’s selections. “And as always, we’ll teach people about all the different sounds an orchestra can make — the strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion — along with different dynamics and moods they can create. It’s going to be like a kaleidoscope.”
The concert’s lineup includes Alfred Reed’s “A Festival Prelude,” with sweeping and march-like elements; Jerry Brubaker’s “That Gershwin Rhythm,” a medley of hits from the famous American composer behind “I Got Rhythm”; and a rollicking section called “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo,” among others.
This year’s featured soloist is 21-year-old music major Alicja Paruch, the 2024 winner of the Undergraduate Concerto Competition. The majority of previous winners played either the piano or violin, but Paruch is playing an instrument that you don’t often see in the spotlight — the marimba. Paruch will perform selections from Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto.
“I started by playing piano when I was young, and when I came [back to the United States] I looked for opportunities to continue but they were hard to come by,” said Paruch, who was born in the U.S. but primarily raised in Poland. “My high school teacher suggested I try the bells.”
The marimba is a percussion instrument in the bells family, and is played using mallets like a xylophone. The layout is similar to a piano, and Paruch made the transition comfortably. She was eventually skilled enough to play with many mallets simultaneously, holding several in each hand.
Paruch admitted she entered the concerto competition just for extra practice. The results shocked her.
“I was hoping to get some extra feedback and improve my playing. I didn’t think that I would win,” she laughed. “I was so surprised!”
A short composition by LeRoy Anderson, “The Typewriter,” will be another highlight. The fast-moving piece puts an actual typewriter in the spotlight, weaving the clacking of the keys and the “ding!” that precedes the carriage return with the orchestral sounds.
As Deaver was developing the concert list, she was delighted when freshman Maximo Flores approached her with some unexpected news: Flores collects typewriters. In fact, he owns five of them.
“I’m fascinated by antiques, and I love the idea of preserving parts of the past,” said Flores, a biology and music major whose main instrument is clarinet. “I got my first typewriter on Craigslist, and now I try to find them wherever I can.”
Deaver naturally asked Flores if he’d like to learn the typewriter solo for the piece.
“I’m an introvert, so this isn’t something I would usually seek out, but I’m a curious person and I love a challenge,” he said.
All told, the concert will be an exciting mix of selections that anyone can appreciate.
“When we say it’s a family concert, we truly mean the whole family can come and enjoy it, even the littlest ones. Some songs may be recognizable, and others will be a brand new experience,” Deaver explained. “Getting to hear an orchestra live and in person is also about getting to see the different instruments, learn how they work and the different sounds they can create. There’s a misconception that the orchestra is very serious, but the whole point is to enjoy the music. And maybe your feet won’t be able to stay still!”
————————————————–
The SBU Family Orchestra Concert will be held on the Main Stage of Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Rd., Stony Brook on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-632-7330 or visit www.stonybrook.edu/music.
Team members celebrate their victory on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics
The Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team pulled away from Villanova early and earned a 12-5 victory over the Wildcats on Feb. 19 in Villanova, Pennsylvania to pick up the squad’s second consecutive win.
The Seawolves were paced by eight different goal scorers with Haydin Eisfeld notching a career-high three goals for her first collegiate hat trick. Alexandra Fusco added a pair of goals and assists while Charlotte Wilmoth scored two goals herself. Casey Colbert led Stony Brook with a team and career-high four assists.
Defensively, Avery Hines tallied a single-game program record with eight caused turnovers while adding a career-high five ground balls. Courtney Maclay recorded five draw controls to lead the Seawolves in the circle. In net, Ava Yancey got her first collegiate start, making three saves through 60 full minutes of play.
For Villanova, Sydney Pappas led the Wildcats with two goals, as Madison Freeman, Elena Torres, and Jillian Vaught each notched one. Goalkeeper Makenzie Fisher made 10 saves in net on a .445 save percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Seawolves scored six straight goals in the span of 11 minutes to begin the contest, the first time since April 6, 2024, against Delaware. Julia Fusco capped the run with a woman-up goal dished out by her sister, Alex.
After a Villanova tally, Wilmoth struck again to put Stony Brook up 7-1 at the end of the first.
The Seawolves grabbed a 9-1 lead with 47 seconds to go in the half as Eisfeld scored in transition to keep Stony Brook on top.
Eisfeld scored again to open the third quarter, as the Wildcats responded and tallied a pair to close the gap, 10-3 heading into the fourth.
Villanova would score another two before Maclay and Kylie Budke capitalized on the Seawolves’ lead to secure a 12-5 victory.
“Really proud of our players and coaches, I always say you improve the most from game one to game two. Our defense was ready to go, holding a potent offense to just 11 shots in the game. That stat is incredible with the offensive power of Villanova. Offensively, we showed spots of brilliance but there’s still so much room for improvement. That’s the great thing about this group is that the ceiling is so high. Really awesome for Avery to set that Stony Brook record as she was so in tune with the scout and the tendencies of the Nova offense. It’s great to start out 2-0, but it’s all eyes on UAlbany Sunday,” noted head coach Joe Spallina postgame.
Next up, the team returns to action on February 23 as they head north to face in-state rival UAlbany. First draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. with coverage available on ESPN+. This will be the 31st meeting between the Seawolves and Great Danes in program history with Stony Brook leading 23-7 all-time.
Stony Brook women’s basketball fell to Towson, 59-52, at TU Arena in Towson, Md. on Feb. 16. The Seawolves were paced offensively by Breauna Ware’s team-high 19 points and Zaida Gonzalez’s 17 points as Stony Brook battled back from a 12-point deficit but could not overcome the Tigers down the stretch.
Stony Brook struggled out of the gate, shooting only 26 percent from the field as Towson went on a 6-0 scoring run to close out the first quarter. The Seawolves trailed 17-9 with Devyn Scott leading the squad with three points.
The Tigers added to that lead, building a 22-13 advantage before Stony Brook went on a 7-0 run to narrow its deficit to 22-20. Towson responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Seawolves trailing 26-22 heading into halftime. Ware scored eight points through the first half of play.
Stony Brook was able to cut into the Tigers’ lead by only one early but Towson found momentum building a 33-25 lead before the Seawolves went on a 5-0 run to trim its deficit to 33-30 with 4:31 to go in the third. Towson countered and stretched its lead to 41-36 heading into the fourth. Ware and Gonzalez accounted for 15 of the team’s 22 points through the third quarter.
Towson kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 59-47 advantage before Stony Brook went on another 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 59-52 with 25 seconds to go in the contest. The score would hold for the rest of the contest.
The team has a week off before their next matchup as they travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to take on Campbell on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. This will be the second meeting between the Seawolves and Fighting Camels this season. Coverage is set to be available on FloCollege.
The team celebrates their victory after Sunday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics
Stony Brook men’s lacrosse ended its weekend trip in North Carolina with a 12-6 victory over Queens University Charlotte on Feb. 16. Freshman Caleb Yeung netted three goals, while Jamison MacLachlan made 13 saves to power the Seawolves to their second win of the season.
Stony Brook started strong on Sunday, registering three of the first four goals of the contest. Collin Williamson, Michael Kloepfer and Richie DeChiaro all found the back of the net during the opening 15 minutes to give the Seawolves an early 3-1 lead.
Yeung netted the first goal of his collegiate career to open the scoring in the second period and add to Stony Brook’s lead.
After an answer from Queens’ offense, Stony Brook scored four straight goals to open things up. DeChiaro and Yeung added their second goals of the game, while Justin Bonacci and Kian McCoy got in on the goal-scoring action.
The two sides traded scores to close the half, seeing Stony Brook carry a 9-3 advantage into the halftime break.
The Royals did not go away quietly, shutting out the Seawolves in the third quarter and trimming their deficit to four goals. Stony Brook seized control of the contest again in the final frame, snapping a nearly 25-minute scoring drought on the strength of Williamson’s second goal of the afternoon to make it 10-5.
MacLachlan shut down the Queens offense for much of the fourth period, making five saves and allowing one goal, a man-down situation for his defense, to hold off Queens’ comeback attempt and win his second game of the season.
“Proud of the toughness we displayed today. After a slugfest on Friday night to be able to turnaround quickly both mentally and physically and earn win number two was the progress we wanted to see,” head coach Anthony Gilardi said.
Andrea Goldsmith will be Stony Brook University's 7th President. Photo courtesy of SBU
By Daniel Dunaief
Stony Brook University has named Andrea Goldsmith as the downstate flagship public university’s seventh president.
Goldsmith, who will start her tenure at Stony Brook on August 1st, has been the dean of engineering and applied sciences at Princeton University since 2020. She has been a dean, researcher in engineering, technology company founder and faculty member at Princeton and at Stanford University and Caltech.
Goldsmith will take over for Richard McCormick, who had been interim dean of the university after former president Maurie McInnis resigned last year to become president of Yale University.
”I would like to congratulate Goldsmith on her appointment as the next president of this prestigious university as I believe she will undoubtedly serve Stony Brook admirably,” Kathy Hochul (D), governor of New York, said in a statement.
Goldsmith’s research interests are in communications. control and signal processing and their application to wireless communications, interconnected systems and biomedical devices. She founded and served as Chief Technology Officer of Plume WiFi and of Quantenna Inc. and is on the board of Directors for Intel, Medtronic, Crown Castle and the Marconi Society. She has also served on the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2021 to 2025.
At Princeton, Goldsmith helped establish the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute. She also developed interdisciplinary research in robotics, blockchain, wireless technologies and artificial intelligence.
Andrew Singer, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Stony Brook, has known Goldsmith for over 25 years.
“She’s a fantastic choice,” Singer said in an interview. “She’s a community builder” and an innovator and has been a “highly visible and strong proponent for the intellectual communities she’s been a part of.”
The newly named SBU president was the founding chair of the IEEE Board of Directors Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and served as President of the IEEE Information Theory Society, as founding Chair of the Student Committee and as founding Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Information Theory.
Goldsmith will be joining Stony Brook at a time when the school has developed significant momentum in a number of areas. The university has risen in the rankings of US News and World Reports, climbing to 58th among national universities and 26th among public universities.
The university also secured a $500 million commitment from Marilyn and the late Jim Simons through the Simons Foundation, which was the largest unrestricted gift ever made to a U.S. education institution.
The university is also in the process of leading the developmentof a $700 million climate center on Governors Island.
During McCormick’s tenure at Stony Brook, which started last August, he outlined ways to improve and build on the university’s success, while also recognizing the need for investment.
McCormick highlighted how Stony Brook had an estimated $2 billion in deferred maintenance.
In an oral history interview with Mary Ann Hellrigel of the IEEE History Cente conducted on February 2, 2022, Goldsmith shared that she grew up in California, where she lived with her mother Adrienne Goldsmith after her parents got divorced. Her mother was an animator for cartoon shows, including “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.”
She is married to Arturo Salz and the couple has two children.
Goldsmith spent part of what would have been her senior year in high school as a singer in Greek night clubs before starting college.
Goldsmith has a Bachelor’s in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and an MS and PhD in electricity engineering from UC Berkeley.
Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism presents its annual Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture in the Wang Center Theater, 100 Nicolls Road Stony Brook on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. with a reception at 5:30 p.m.
Guest speaker Rhona Tarrant, Executive Editor of CBS News Confirmed, will present a lecture titled The New Battlefield: Open Source Investigations Into Conflict and Disinformation.
Social media has transformed conflict reporting, elevating open-source investigations to a core part of modern journalism. These techniques allow journalists to verify events in real time, supporting the indispensable work of on-the-ground reporting.
At the same time, state-backed disinformation campaigns have become increasingly sophisticated, blurring the lines of reality and driving greater demand for rigorous fact-checking and verification.
Tarrant will examine the rising prominence of open-source verification in conflict reporting and outline the critical tools required for the next generation of journalists.
The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome. No reservations necessary, but encouraged by clicking here. For more information, call 631-632-7403.
The Stony Brook baseball team erased an 8-0 deficit to storm back for an 11-8 victory, capped by a three-run home run from Chanz Doughty in the final inning, securing a series sweep over Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Feb. 16. The game was called after seven innings due to weather conditions.
John Rizzo made his first career start for the Seawolves, tossing 1.2 innings while allowing six runs and striking out two.Matt Sgambati made his Stony Brook debut in the second inning, finishing the second and third frames while allowing two runs on two hits.
Down 8-0 in the third, Johnny Pilla put Stony Brook on the board with a two-out double that plated Matt Miceli, cutting the deficit to 8-1.
Sgambati followed with a 1-2-3 third inning before Nico Azpilcueta led off the fourth with a single. A walk by Luke Szepek and a hit-by-pitch from Cam Santerre loaded the bases with no outs. All three scored on a fielder’s choice and an error, trimming the deficit to 8-4. Kincaid Bergthold later came around to score on another error, making it 8-5.
Hunter Colagrande made his Stony Brook debut in the fourth, allowing two baserunners before striking out three straight hitters to escape the jam.
The Seawolves rallied in the sixth with two outs. Doughty and Miceli singled to bring up Erik Paulsen, who delivered an RBI single to center, making it 8-6. Evan Goforth followed with an RBI single, pulling Stony Brook within one at 8-7.
George Adams made his debut in the bottom of the sixth and struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning.
In the seventh, Szepek and Santerre drew walks before Bergthold delivered the game-tying RBI single. Doughty then launched a three-run home run to center, giving the Seawolves an 11-8 lead.
Adams shut down Bethune-Cookman in order in the bottom half, sealing the comeback victory before the game was called due to weather.
Next up, the team travels to Fort Myers next week for a three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast. First pitch on Feb. 21 is set for 6:30 p.m., with streaming details to be determined.
Smartphones are an attractive nuisance not just during family time, when parents might otherwise struggle to see anything other than the top of the heads of their children, but also during school.
Lauren Hale. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Medicine
In a recent research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics, scientists led by Lauren Hale, Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, found in a study of 117 students from the ages of 13 to 18 that smartphone use during school hours typically consumed an average of about 1.5 hours. That’s about 23 percent of a typical school day.
“School time should be a time for being present,” said Hale. It should involve interacting with peers and learning from teachers. “When a quarter of your day is spent with your finger on the phone” students are missing opportunities for academic and social growth.
The study, which was funded by the Della Pietra Family Foundation, comes as Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has unveiled a plan to restrict cell phone use during the day for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The governor’s plan allocates $13.5 million for pouches, cubbies and other storage devices and comes as other states and countries seek to limit the kinds of distractions that diminish learning and that prevent face-to-face social interactions.
The JAMA study “really does underscore the need to help children reduce their screen time, both at school and at home,” said Kris Perry, Executive Director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
At this moment, “we are seeing a crisis in childhood that is highly correlated with the introduction of the smartphone and social media platforms,” Perry added.
In the JAMA Pediatrics study, the researchers found that a quarter of the participants spent more than two hours on their phone during school.
The top five most used apps or categories, other than internet browsing, were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio and email.
The study may underestimate the amount of time typical students spend on their phones, in part because the participants in the research knew that their phone use was being tracked.
Study design
The students in the study, who were divided almost equally between boys and girls and who came from a representative sampling of different backgrounds, completed a 15-minute smartphone-based survey and installed RealityMeter to measure their smartphone use.
The researchers examined data from these students, whose phones sent signals throughout the day about the time they are using the phone.
The average number of hours these students were on their phones during the day was 5.59, which excludes other electronic devices such as video games, desktop computers or laptops.
To be sure, the survey didn’t analyze the times during the day that these students were on their phones. Some of these participants, for example, could have used their smartphones during their lunch or free periods rather than during calculus classes or lectures about American History, French or any other subject.
“We didn’t have the granularity of each student’s schedule to know” when the phone usage was the highest, Hale said.
Still, using the phone instead of interacting directly with students in the room, at a lunch table, or in a hallway is a “missed opportunity for eye-to-eye contact in real life,” said Hale.
In the study, about 22 percent of the participants indicated that their parents restricted their phone use when they are at home.
The data for this group during school tracks, however, closely with the students who said they didn’t have any such similar phone restrictions at home. The study also compared phone usage for students whose parents attended college with those who didn’t attend or finish college.
The children of college graduates used the phone about 30 minutes less per school day.
Combination of factors
Several factors may have contributed to any potential increase in the use of smartphones in school.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown and remote learning, students relied on technology to log in to their classrooms. Adolescents who couldn’t interact with each other in person also spent considerable time texting and interacting with each other on social media.
Additionally, various apps have enhanced their platforms to encourage users to stay on them for longer periods of time.
“The algorithms know that I like Shih Tzus, so I keep getting reels for tiny white dogs doing tricks,” said Hale. “If they put up cats, I wouldn’t watch.”
The same is true for adolescents, who see sports clips or other content regularly that compels them to stay online and that may interfere with their ability to learn in class or to socialize with people around them.
These apps and the devices adolescents use could provide information about usage patterns.
“I would love to see social media platforms share more information,” said Hale.
Perry added that parents act as important role models for their children when it comes to screen time. “What you’re modeling is going to be replicated,” she said. “Things that adults do without thinking, their children are copying.”
Next steps
Hale indicated that the research team has just finished collecting a second wave of data on the same participants. The scientists will be following up to see screen use patterns as well as any observed changes in mental health and physical well being.
The recent work published in JAMA Pediatrics is a “descriptive baseline” of smartphone usage in school, said Hale. She suggested that researchers need to conduct further research to understand the impact of phone usage patterns on education. “We need replication in science” to uncover more details over a larger population for smartphone use.
Like Gov. Hochul and others who have focused on this issue, Hale believes these personal electronics may hinder the learning process.
“I’m concerned about kids losing precious school hours to distracting devices,” Hale said. When students go to school, they should “be ready for learning and social time. That’s what’s going to make a difference in their education.”
Prev
