US EditionStudy reveals teens spend a third of school day on smartphones
Researchers found teens spend one-third of school hours on smartphones, with frequent checking linked to weaker attention and poorer impulse control, mostly due to social media use.
- Recent research published in JAMA found frequent phone checking among middle and high school students is linked to weaker attention span and poorer impulse control.
- By tracking phones hourly over two weeks, the research team used an hour-by-hour, two-week tracking method that isolated frequent checking as a behavior linked to attention fragmentation.
- Students spent about one-third of the school day on their phones, checking dozens of times, with social media and entertainment apps making up over 70% of use, lead author Dr. Eva Telzer said.
- Dr. Eva Telzer urged limiting phones during school hours, saying 'Our findings provide support for limiting access to smartphones during school hours.' Study authors also suggested restricting social media and entertainment apps to protect students' attention.
- Findings position the study as evidence in school phone policy debates, as interruptions from repeated phone checking may disrupt classroom learning and academic success, affecting students' cognitive control and attention.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Frequent phone checking linked to weaker attention in middle and high school students
A new study from researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finds that middle and high school students spend nearly one-third of the school day on their smartphones, checking them dozens of times, often for social media and entertainment, with frequent checking linked to weaker attention and impulse control.
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Study reveals teens spend a third of school day on smartphones
The study showed that frequent checking was linked to weaker attention span and impulse control in teens.
A study found that American teenagers spend about a third of their school hours using their smartphones. Frequent phone use leads to decreased cognitive abilities. A study found that frequent phone checks, rather than simply prolonged use, have a negative impact on concentration and cognitive abilities.
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