NC Lawmakers Discuss Cell Phone Policies and Math Standards

New study finds students spend one-third of school day on phones, undermining academic skills.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:48pm

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of a student's hand holding a smartphone, with the device and surrounding classroom environment blurred into soft, warm pools of color and light, conceptually representing the distracting impact of excessive phone use in the classroom.The prevalence of student phone use during school hours has become a growing concern for educators seeking to minimize classroom distractions.Today in Raleigh

North Carolina state lawmakers on the joint education oversight committee heard from the Department of Public Instruction about major topics, including revisions to mathematics standards and data on how often students use their phones during the school day. A new study found that teens spent one-third of the school day on their phones, with social media and entertainment accounting for over 70% of that time, which researchers say undermines the skills students need to succeed in the classroom.

Why it matters

The findings from the study provide objective, evidence-based information that state lawmakers and education leaders can use to help craft policies and digital literacy programs to address the impact of excessive student phone use during school hours.

The details

The study, co-authored by an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, tracked the behavior of middle and high school students and found that frequent phone-checking was linked to weaker attention span and self-control. A new state law passed last year requires all school districts to have cellphone policies in place, with some districts like Wake County requiring students to silence and store their phones during designated times. The changes to math standards would emphasize real-world application of math, replacing Math 3 and Math 4 with various classes that students can choose from, part of a national movement to revise standards to keep more students interested and connected in math.

  • The study was published in a medical journal in 2026.
  • A new state law requiring school cellphone policies was passed in 2025.
  • The math standards revisions are currently underway.

The players

Kaitlyn Burnell

An assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who co-authored the study on student phone usage during the school day.

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

The state education agency that presented the findings on cell phone policies and math standards revisions to the joint education oversight committee.

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What they’re saying

“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, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What’s next

The joint education oversight committee plans to use the findings from the study to help shape future policies and digital literacy programs aimed at addressing the impact of excessive student phone use during school hours.

The takeaway

The data presented to North Carolina lawmakers highlights the significant amount of time students are spending on their phones during the school day, which researchers say undermines the skills needed for academic success. This evidence-based information will be crucial as state and local education leaders work to craft effective policies and programs to address this issue.