Teens spend more than a quarter of their time at school on phones, new study finds

A new study shows that more than a quarter of high school-aged students’ time spent on their smartphones occurs in school. It comes as state lawmakers across the country introduce and pass legislation aimed at cracking down on student cellphone usage in schools. 

The study, spearheaded by Seattle Children’s Hospital, found that among the more than 115 eighth- through 12th-grade students that it tracked, 25% of them spent more than two hours on their phones during a typical six-and-a-half hour school day. The study found that the average time spent among all the students they tracked was roughly 1.5 hours, which contributed to 27% of their average daily use.

The study’s findings come just several days after the state of Colorado introduced House Bill 1135, which would require school districts in the state to adopt policies that limit the use of cellphones by students during school hours. If passed, Colorado would join 19 other states that have adopted some type of cellphone restrictions for students, according to Democratic state Rep. Meghan Lukens. 

DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELL PHONES IN DISTRICT’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A placard on display during a press conference by Gov. Kathy Hochul launching her statewide push for distraction-free schools on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, at the Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, New York. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

“I’m not a big fan of government controlling people’s lives, but in this context, I’m all for it,” psychotherapist Thomas Kersting told Fox News Digital. Kersting is a former school counselor who has lectured for 16 years about the adolescent impact of increased screen time. He wrote a bestselling book called “Disconnected,” which posited that increased screen time for kids is re-wiring their brains. 

“I started seeing an incredible influx of kids diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) from when I was working as a high school counselor. It did not add up,” Kersting said. “The chronic eight or nine hours a day of stimulation affects the executive functioning, executive functions of the brain, which is what you need to be able to concentrate, focus, retain, and all that stuff.”

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is often treated using stimulant medications like Adderall or Vyvanse. (iStock)

Kersting pointed out that schools and school districts are also taking the lead in implementing various ways to cut down on students using their cellphones during class time, but added that state and local legislation can have the power to push schools that may be afraid to act due to parental concerns.

COULD SMARTPHONE USE CAUSE HALLUCINATIONS?

“The phone has become the umbilical cord between parent and child,” said Kersting. “So, the idea of a parent nowadays sending their kid to school is more terrifying and schools, I believe, are probably concerned about litigation, violation of rights and things of that nature.”

Two female students writing text messages on their smartphones as they eat lunch in their school cafeteria. (Nicolas Guyonnet/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

But while parents may be apprehensive, taking phones out of school can help improve students’ test scores, attention spans and socialization, while reducing the need for disciplinary intervention, Kersting said.

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The study by Seattle Children’s Hospital found that, excluding web browsers, the top five apps or categories used by school-aged students were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio apps and email.