Nearly Every U.S. Public School Has A Phone Policy. So Why Are Teens Still Scrolling For Over An Hour After The Bell Rings?

Nearly 100% of public schools in America have rules about smartphones. But new research shows that even with near-universal policies in place, teens still spend more than an hour each school day on their devices. And for some students, the problem goes deeper than distraction.

New data tracking actual phone use (not self-reports) shows 13- to 18-year-olds average 1 hour and 10 minutes on smartphones during school hours. Most of that time goes to scrolling social media, watching videos, and playing games. The study, published in JAMA, shows that teens with the most problematic phone habits spent an additional 10 minutes glued to screens compared to their peers.

The Challenge of Phone Policies During School Hours

The research tracked 640 teens’ Android phones between September 2022 and May 2024 using monitoring technology that captured actual usage during school hours. While 99.7% of principals report having policies in place, the study shows substantial phone use continues: students averaged more than an hour daily on devices.

The study didn’t evaluate specific policies or test which approaches reduce use. But the findings suggest that alongside widespread rules, teens are still finding ways to stay connected. The specific approaches schools take vary widely, and this research didn’t track which policies were in place at different schools or how enforcement worked.

For students with higher problematic use scores, the data suggests the pull of devices may be strong enough to override rules, even when consequences are possible. Whether stricter policies would help, or whether a different approach is needed, remains an open question.

When Students Score High on Problematic Use Measures

Researchers used two standardized questionnaires: the Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (SMAQ) and Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire (MPIQ), where higher scores indicate more problematic social media or phone use.

Students who scored in the highest third on these measures spent about 10 extra minutes per school day on social media apps compared to classmates. They logged nearly 10 more minutes of overall phone time and about 7 additional minutes on social media apps overall.

For these teens, smartphones appear more difficult to set aside, even during school hours when use is typically forbidden. The data shows a clear pattern: higher scores on problematic use measures correlate with more phone time during the school day.

Social Media Takes the Biggest Chunk of School Phone Time

When teens pulled out phones during the school day, social media dominated. Apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat (which fall into the social media category) consumed around 30 minutes on average, the single largest category of use. YouTube came in second at about 15 minutes, with games like Roblox, Clash Royale, and Pokemon GO taking up another 15 minutes.

The breakdown makes clear students aren’t sneaking quick glances for homework help. They’re consuming entertainment and maintaining social connections, treating school hours as just another part of their always-on digital lives. Communication apps (including web browsers) accounted for 9 minutes, while music, photography, and actual educational apps made up smaller portions.

The research couldn’t separate educational from recreational use, so some portion might have been legitimate classroom activity. But when social media, video, and gaming account for most of the time, the bulk clearly falls outside what teachers would approve.

Who’s Using Phones Most During School Hours

Not all students are using phones equally. Older teens (ages 16-18) spent nearly 20 more minutes per day on devices than younger students (13-15). Black students used phones about 22 minutes more than white students. And teens from families earning under $25,000 annually logged significantly more screen time than those from higher-income households, differences of roughly 12 to 20 minutes depending on income level.

The study didn’t dig into why these gaps exist, but they raise uncomfortable questions. Are phone policies being enforced differently for different students? Do some teens have fewer alternative sources of stimulation during downtime? The data can’t answer these questions, but the patterns are hard to ignore.

What This Means for Parents and Schools

The researchers note that because school smartphone regulations are changing rapidly, periodic follow-up studies will be needed to understand whether stricter policies actually reduce screen time and whether reduced screen time translates into better academic performance and mental health outcomes.

One limitation is that the research only captured data from Android users. The findings might not apply equally to teens using iPhones, who represent a substantial portion of the adolescent smartphone market. The study also relied on short collection windows rather than continuous year-long tracking, potentially missing seasonal variations.

Still, the data offers a reality check. Parents, teachers, and policymakers may assume existing phone policies are keeping devices out of students’ hands during class. But when teens average more than an hour per day on screens during school (and those with higher problematic use scores log even more time) the current approach isn’t eliminating the issue. Understanding which policies actually work, how to enforce them effectively, and whether some students need different support will require further research.