0
0
In a revealing new study, adolescents (aged 13 to 18) were found to spend an average of 1.5 hours each school day on their smartphones, raising concerns about its impact on learning and in-person socialization. The study, led by Dr. Lauren Hale of Stony Brook University and published in JAMA Pediatrics, monitored smartphone data during a typical school day from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM.
The findings come as New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new report in January 2025, titled “More Learning, Less Scrolling,” aiming to prohibit smartphone use during school hours in an effort to boost student engagement and mental health.
Dr. Hale, a public health expert and mother of two middle schoolers, expressed her concerns over the detrimental effects of smartphone distractions during school hours. “Unfortunately, too much of the existing research on digital media use relies upon self-reported data,” Hale said. “In this study, we were able to objectively assess smartphone use, enabling a much more granular understanding of timing and content of smartphone use.”
The study analyzed data collected from nearly 300 participants who completed a 15-minute survey and installed RealityMeter to track smartphone use during school hours. The results revealed that over 25% of the adolescents spent more than two hours on their smartphones, with text messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio, and email being the most used apps.
While the study acknowledges that smartphones can be useful tools for communication and learning, the data suggests that much of the usage during school hours is unrelated to educational purposes. “Parents and adolescents may derive benefit from access to phones for communication and learning purposes during school. However, application usage data from this study suggest that most school-day smartphone use appears incongruous with that purpose,” Hale and her team noted.
The researchers believe these findings point to the need for further studies with larger sample sizes to better understand the broader societal impact of smartphone use among students. With over 25% of the adolescents spending excessive time on social media, the study underscores the growing concern about how screen time is impacting the educational and social development of young people.
Disclaimer: This study was based on a specific sample of adolescents, and results may not reflect broader trends in the general population. More extensive research is required to fully understand the effects of smartphone use on adolescents during school hours.
