A new study reveals the average amount of time teenagers spend on their smartphones during school hours, highlighting the growing concern about screen time and its impact on academic performance and mental health.
A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics revealed that adolescents spend an average of 90 minutes on their smartphones during school hours, a period that typically lasts 6.5 hours. The study also found that 25% of adolescents use their phones for more than two hours during school. The top five apps used by students were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio, and email.
Researchers, concerned about screen usage among US youth, noted that adolescents aged 13 to 18 spend an average of 8.5 hours daily using screen-based media. However, they emphasize that simply measuring screen time is insufficient, as the content and timing of usage matter significantly for development.The study involved 292 participants aged 13 to 18 who owned smartphones. Their usage was monitored using a smartphone app called RealityMeter. Of those who installed the app, 233 participants kept it for at least three days. The final sample comprised 117 participants with at least two weekdays of data from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm between May and November 2023. Lauren Hale, the study's lead author and a professor at Stony Brook University, stated, 'Smartphone use during school has become a concern, and school-based smartphone bans have been increasingly considered.' She added, 'Smartphones may distract from classroom learning and opportunities for real-world interactions.'The study's findings coincide with a growing trend of state-level bans on cellphone use during school. At least eight states have implemented such bans over the past two years, and proposals are being considered in several more this year. These bans are driven by concerns about the impact of screen time on children's mental health and teacher complaints about cellphones being a constant distraction in the classroom. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called for warning labels on social media platforms regarding their effects on young people, has also stated that schools need to provide phone-free times. However, cellphone bans have met opposition from some parents who argue that they need to be able to contact their children directly in emergencies. Some parents point to recent school shootings where cellphones were the only means for some students to communicate with loved ones during what they believed might be their final moments. Supporters of the bans counter that students' phones could pose additional dangers during emergencies by distracting students or revealing their location during an active shooter situation.Parents opposed to the ban also argue that their children should have access to their phones for other purposes, such as coordinating transportation. Nationally, 77% of US schools report prohibiting cellphones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. However, this figure is potentially misleading as it doesn't necessarily reflect whether students are adhering to these bans or if all schools are enforcing them.
Smartphones Adolescents Screen Time School Bans Mental Health
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