At a roundtable discussion with parent-teacher association leaders, mental health experts and Mothers Against Media Addiction, Governor Kathy Hochul said she's more motivated than ever to make sure meaningful legislation passes in an effort to stop addictive algorithms and data collection targeting kids and teens.

Mothers Against Media Addiction founder Julie Scelfo says she and Gov. Hochul agree smartphones should not be in the classrooms. Hochul said it's one of her main focuses with only days left in the legislative session, adding she wants to work to pass the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) Act, which places restrictions on social media companies she says are harming children with addictive features and data collection.

At the roundtable, she also said she had an idea to create legislation that would ban smartphones in schools.

“It is not fully developed. This comes from sitting with young people," she said. "What would the school day be like where the young people didn’t have this distraction going on all day long and they are actually looking eye to eye with other students at lunchtime or listening to the teacher directly instead of having their head down? And I am going to be pursuing this?

"I want to get this done first; I want to talk to more parents and educators about ... concerns about smartphones. Do they need to be in schools?"

Mothers Against Media Addiction says it's in favor of such a move.