As evidence mounts that both academic performance and social-emotional development are negatively impacted by adolescent cell phone use, concern for student wellbeing is reaching a tipping point among educators and parents alike.
In 2020, JAMA Network reported on a survey that was administered to a nationally representative sample of 210 middle and high schools. While 97% of responding middle schools reported having a cell phone policy for students, phone use was unrestricted during lunch and recess—times during which socialization between students has traditionally taken place—at 71 middle schools (33%) and 10 high schools (69%).
More than 90% of responding principals supported restricting cell phone use at both middle and high school levels, and over 80% believe cell phone use during school negatively affects both social development and academic performance. Furthermore, despite the common perception that parents are resistant to in-school cell phone restrictions, 91% of responding middle schools indicated that parents would support a policy limiting cell phone use during the school day. This suggests that educators could benefit from the support of parents and caretakers in limiting cell phone use during school hours.
Guidelines for physical activity and nutrition are already commonplace in school curriculum. Given the opportunity to create predictable screen-free spaces for young people, public schools are uniquely positioned to support recommendations for daily screen time and media use. The social-emotional consequences of time spent using screens during lunch and recess are not well understood, and further attention to this issue may be critical to nurturing a school culture that prioritizes learning and socialization.
Pooja S. Tandon, et al., Cell Phone Use Policies in US Middle and High Schools. JAMA Network Open, 2020;3(5):e205183.