Introduction to Teen Cellphone Use in Schools
By Marianna McMurdock – The 74
As districts and government officials nationwide consider curbing smartphones’ reach, new research has revealed teens miss at least one and a half hours of school because they are on their phones.
A quarter of the 13-18-year-olds in the study used devices for two hours each school day, which lasts around seven hours. The averages outnumber minutes allotted for lunch and period breaks combined, showing youth are distracted by phones throughout huge chunks of class time.
The 74 // JAMA
Teen Phone Use in School Raises Learning and Social Concerns
Stony Brook University’s research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, is the first to accurately paint a picture of adolescent phone behavior by using a third party app to monitor usage over four months in 2023. Previous studies have relied on parent surveys or self-reported estimates.
“That’s pretty alarming … It’s too much, not only because of the missed learning opportunity in the classroom,” said researcher Lauren Hale, sleep expert and professor at Stony Brook’s Renaissance School of Medicine.
Lea Suzuki // San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
“They’re missing out on real life social interaction with peers, which is just as valuable for growth during a critical period of one’s life,” she told The 74.
Research Findings and Implications
Hale and the other researchers’ early findings come from 117 teens for which they had school data, just one slice of a pool from over 300 participants, which will be analyzed and used to consider how phone usage impacts sleep, obesity, depression, and other outcomes.
Teens most often used messaging, Instagram and video streaming platforms. While most spent about 26 minutes on Instagram, in one extreme case, a student was on the app for 269 minutes—nearly 5 hours—during the school day.
Data reveal particular groups of students are using their phones more than their peers: Girls and older kids, aged 16 to 18, spent a half hour above the average 1.5 hours; and Latino and multiracial students spent on average 15 minutes above average.
Additionally, though researchers cannot hypothesize as to why based on the descriptive data, kids who have one or more parents with a college degree used smartphones less during the school day.
Concerns and Potential Solutions
The findings are particularly concerning given young people missed key social years with peers during the pandemic, the impact of which is felt in ways big and small, like being hesitant to work with peers in groups.
Teachers in contact with Hale since research went public in early February said of the 1.5 hour average, “that’s too low an estimate. They think we underestimated.”
Los Angeles is among several districts with plans to institute a cellphone ban, though such bans are inconsistently implemented and new research from the U.K. suggests bans alone do not impact grades or wellbeing.
“These results are consistent, supportive evidence of anecdotal stories from across the country about kids missing out on learning and social opportunities. [They] can help justify efforts to provide a coherent smartphone policy for schools,” said Hale, adding that such policy should not be left up to individual teachers to enforce.
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing teen cellphone use in schools. By understanding the extent of the problem and its implications, educators and policymakers can work together to develop effective strategies for minimizing distractions and promoting healthy phone use habits among teens.
FAQs
Q: How much time do teens spend on their phones during the school day?
A: According to the study, teens spend an average of 1.5 hours on their phones during the school day, with some spending up to 5 hours on a single app.
Q: What are the most commonly used apps among teens during school hours?
A: The most commonly used apps among teens during school hours are messaging, Instagram, and video streaming platforms.
Q: Do cellphone bans in schools effectively reduce phone use and improve grades or wellbeing?
A: According to new research from the U.K., cellphone bans alone do not appear to have a significant impact on grades or wellbeing.
Q: What can be done to address the issue of teen cellphone use in schools?
A: A comprehensive approach is needed, including the development of a coherent smartphone policy for schools that is consistently enforced, rather than being left up to individual teachers.
