Study: Teens' Frequent Smartphone Use Linked to Poor School Attention

UNC researchers find middle and high school students spend nearly one-third of the school day on their phones.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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A new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that middle and high school students spend nearly one-third of the school day on their smartphones, often checking them dozens of times for social media and entertainment. The study showed that this frequent phone checking is linked to weaker attention and impulse control, undermining the skills students need to succeed academically.

Why it matters

As schools and districts across the country consider new policies around smartphone use, this research provides concrete evidence that frequent phone checking during school hours can be detrimental to students' cognitive control and academic performance. The findings suggest targeted restrictions on access to highly reinforcing apps and platforms during instructional time may help protect students' attention and engagement.

The details

The study examined how often adolescents use their phones during school and whether that behavior is related to their ability to focus and regulate attention. By tracking smartphone use every hour over a two-week period, researchers were able to see how phone use unfolds throughout the school day rather than relying on self-reports or daily averages. They found that students who checked their phones more frequently showed poorer cognitive control, a key skill for learning and academic success.

  • The study was conducted over a two-week period in 2025.

The players

Eva Telzer

Professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lead author of the study.

Kaitlyn Burnell

Research assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-author of the study.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The university where the researchers who conducted the study are based.

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What they’re saying

“Smartphones are no longer something students use occasionally during school—they're present during every hour of the day. Our findings show that frequent phone checking may undermine the very skills students need to succeed in the classroom.”

— Eva Telzer, Professor of psychology and neuroscience (JAMA)

“What surprised us most was the sheer amount of time teens are on their phones during school. Students were on their phones every hour during school, spending one-third of the school day on their phones, with social media and entertainment accounting for over 70% of their time.”

— Kaitlyn Burnell, Research assistant professor (JAMA)

What’s next

As states and school districts across the country adopt new phone policies, the researchers say the findings provide support for limiting access to smartphones during school hours, particularly to social media and entertainment apps, in order to protect students' attention and academic engagement.

The takeaway

This study highlights the significant impact that frequent smartphone use during the school day can have on students' cognitive control and ability to focus, underscoring the need for schools to implement policies that strike a balance between leveraging technology's benefits and mitigating its potential distractions in the classroom.