Ban smartphones in schools: study finds 64 daily uses

A recent study shows that US students use their smartphones an average of 64 times per school day, a habit that is ruining concentration and cognitive abilities. The image of a harried teacher trying to maintain control in a classroom where most students are transfixed by their devices instead of focusing on lessons has become all too familiar. The dangers of social media for young and old minds are well-documented, and the time students spend on their handheld devices is increasing with each new study.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tracked the real-time phone habits of middle and high schoolers, uncovering a disturbing trend: phone usage occurred during every single hour of the school day, and not one student in the study went the entire day without using their mobile phone. Published in JAMA Network Open, this study monitored the phone habits of 79 students aged 11 to 18 over two consecutive weeks, finding that the average teen racks up over two full hours of screen time during school alone—about one-third of their total daily phone use and over a quarter of the entire school day.

The more alarming discovery wasn't the duration of phone use but the frequency with which students reached for their devices, a nervous, knee-jerk habit that appears linked to concentration levels. Like infants reaching for a security blanket, students grabbed their phones an average of 64 times during the school day, and those who used them most often scored worse on a standard test measuring concentration and self-control. The study indicates a link not just between phones and distraction, but between compulsive phone use and the mental discipline adolescents need to learn and develop.

Researcher Lauren Hale, a sleep expert and professor at Stony Brook's Renaissance School of Medicine, told The 74 that this is pretty alarming, as it represents not only missed learning opportunities in the classroom but also deprives students of real-life social interactions with peers, which are just as valuable for growth during a critical life period. With over 95% of American teens reporting access to a handheld device and nearly half describing themselves as 'almost constantly' online as of 2024, the study's authors aim to determine how this omnipresent force, which acts like a drug for millions of users, shapes adolescent development, particularly in contexts like school designed to foster sustained learning.