Teens Spend One-Third of School Day on Phones, Study Finds
Teenagers spend nearly one-third of the school day looking at their smartphones, according to new research.
Scientists say the frequent checking—mainly for social media or entertainment—can “undermine” the level of focus students need to perform well in the classroom.
Researchers in the U.S. say their findings strengthen the case for limiting smartphone access during school hours.
The study found that middle and high school students spend almost a third of the school day using their phones, checking them dozens of times throughout the day.
Results showed that this repeated phone checking was associated with weaker attention spans and poorer impulse control.
The research team set out to measure how often teenagers use smartphones during school and whether that behavior is tied to their ability to maintain focus and regulate attention.
Instead of relying on surveys or estimates, the researchers objectively tracked students’ smartphone use every hour for two weeks. This allowed them to see how phone activity changed throughout the school day.
Lead author Dr. Eva Telzer from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill said: “Smartphones are no longer something students use occasionally during school – they’re present during every hour of the day.”
“Our findings show that frequent phone checking may undermine the very skills students need to succeed in the classroom.”
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that students who checked their phones more often demonstrated weaker cognitive control, which researchers describe as a “key” ability for learning and academic achievement.
Study co-author Dr. Kaitlyn Burnel, also from UNC-Chapel Hill, said the researchers were struck by how much time teens spent on their phones during school.
“What surprised us most was the sheer amount of time teens are on their phones during school,” she said.
“Students were on their phones every hour during school, spending one-third of the school day on their phones, with social media and entertainment accounting for over 70% of their time.”
By tracking phone activity moment by moment, the researchers found that frequent checking—rather than just overall screen time—was a “critical” factor connected to fragmented attention and weaker self-control.
They say this distinction matters because constant interruptions from checking phones may be especially damaging to the learning process.
Dr. Telzer said: “Our findings provide support for limiting access to smartphones during school hours.”
She added: “Policies that restrict access to highly reinforcing platforms, including social media and entertainment apps, during instructional time may help protect students’ attention and academic engagement.”
Dr. Telzer said the results provide “concrete, objective evidence” that could help guide future school policies, potentially leading to more targeted approaches for managing smartphones in classrooms while still allowing technology to be used purposefully.
