Kids spend a startling number of hours on their phones during school, study reveals

A study from the Seattle Children's Research Institute found that adolescents aged 13-18 spend an average of 1.5 hours out of a 6.5-hour school day on smartphones. This equates to roughly a quarter of their school time, with over 25% of teens using their devices for more than two hours. The research highlights concerns that excessive smartphone use during school hours could hinder learning and social interactions. Researchers call for larger studies to enhance understanding of this behavior, emphasizing the importance of objective assessments over self-reports in studying adolescents' smartphone use.

As a public health researcher and a mother of two middle schoolers, I am concerned that too many kids are missing out on both learning and in-person social opportunities during the school day by looking at their phones. School hours are precious.

Unfortunately, too much of the existing research on digital media use relies upon self-reported data. In this study, we were able to objectively assess smartphone use, enabling a much more accurate understanding of how teens are really spending their time.

Read at New York Post