Study: Teens spend 90 minutes on phones during school day, raising concerns

A new study found that adolescents spend 90 minutes on average on their smartphones during school hours, which is typically 6.5 hours. 

What we know:

The study, published this month in JAMA Pediatrics, also found that 25% of adolescents spend more than two hours on their phone during school. 

The top five apps being used were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio, and email.

RELATED: Most US teens feel peaceful without smartphones, study finds

Researchers said screen usage among US youth remains a top concern with adolescents between 13 and 18 years old spending 8.5 hours daily on average using screen-based media. 

What we don’t know:

However, researchers said how students use phones in school remains unclear. Simply measuring screen time is insufficient as content and timing matter for development. 

Methodology:

Researchers reached out to participants who were between 13 and 18 years old and had a smartphone. 

Their smartphone usage was then attacked with an app called RealityMeter. Of 292 participants who installed RealityMeter, 233 kept it for at least three days. The final sample included 117 participants with at least two weekdays of data from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm between May and November 2023. 

What they’re saying:

“Smartphone use during school has become a concern, and school-based smartphone bans have been increasingly considered,” Lauren Hale, the study’s main author and a professor at Stony Brook University said. “Smartphones may distract from classroom learning and opportunities for real-world interactions.”

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Schools passing cellphone bans 

Why you should care:

More states are banning students’ cellphone use during school. 

At least eight states have enacted such bans over the past two years, and proposals are being considered in several more states this year.

The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children’s mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects on young people’s lives, has said schools need to provide phone-free times.

The other side:

The cellphone bans have faced opposition from some parents who say they need to be able to contact their children directly in case of emergency.

Some parents have pointed to recent school shootings where having access to cellphones was the only way some students were able to communicate with loved ones for what they thought might be the last time.

But supporters of the bans have noted that students’ phones could pose additional dangers during an emergency by distracting students or by revealing their location during an active shooter situation.

Parents opposed to the ban have also said they want their children to have access to their phones for other needs, such as coordinating transportation.

Big picture view:

Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cellphones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But that number is misleading. It does not mean students are following those bans or all those schools are enforcing them.