Teens aren’t just sneaking quick glances at their phones during class. They’re spending an average of 1 1/2 hours on them every school day, with 25% of students logging on for more than two hours, according to a new study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
Social media and messaging apps eat up almost a quarter of kids’ school day, the study suggested, raising concerns about distractions, lost learning and whether or not schools should enforce stricter rules.
Lauren Hale, the study’s main author and a professor of family, population and preventive medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, emphasized that research on this topic is lacking.
“Mostly we rely on anecdotes and self-report of when and how much time people use [smartphones] during the school day,” Hale told ABC News, adding that an earlier study with Android devices found students spent only 43 minutes on their phones during school hours, far less than the 1 1/2 hours seen in this study, a 109% jump.
The study published Monday tracked phone usage with an app that measured screen time and activity on both Android and iOS devices.
While some students turned to their devices for research or schoolwork, entertainment and social media were always just a tap away. Instagram, TikTok and messaging apps were among the most popular platforms, pulling teens into social feeds and chats during school hours, according to the study.
Recognizing that digital devices may be eroding the quality of learning, many states have moved to limit their availability in schools.