The smartphone has become a staple of almost every teenager’s life. Why wouldn’t it? The ability to communicate with all your friends instantly, play thousands of online games, watch everything from your favorite movie to a seemingly infinite amount of short videos an algorithm picked out just for you. It’s an endless stream of information and entertainment right at your fingertips. Of course smartphones are indispensable to modern youth. However, for these very reasons, smartphones are very distracting in a school setting and therefore directly hurting students’ abilities to focus. Therefore, more schools should implement a phone ban during class hours, ensuring students disconnect from their devices and prioritize learning and engaging while in the classroom.

The distraction caused by smartphones in the classroom has serious academic consequences, negatively impacting student performance. A Rutgers study found that when students were not permitted to bring a device into a classroom, their final test scores were at least 5 points higher than when they were permitted to use devices. Another recent study discovered that every 100 minutes a student spends on their smartphone in a day corresponds to a 6.3 point reduction in that student’s ranking within their school (on a scale of 1 to 100). On top of that, a New York City university study revealed that students in classes without their smartphones reported better course comprehension than the control group with smartphones. I present an almost redundant amount of studies here to illustrate my key point: the research unambiguously shows that smartphones clearly and directly hurt students’ academic performances.

Moreover, the presence of phones in class is associated with a range of additional issues that impact students’ well-being. One of these concerns is cyberbullying, which is now the main avenue of bullying in schools. The Annapolis Police Department provided data proving nearly 42% of students have been bullied online while 90% of middle school students have, at minimum, had their feelings hurt online. Meanwhile, research shows that students using cellphones at a young age are more likely to be cyberbullied and to cyberbully others.

Social isolation is yet another concern to student well-being. When students are spending the school day on their phones, they don’t engage in meaningful social interactions with their peers. An important part of schooling is teaching students social skills, including communication with peers and adults, improved teamwork, active listening, and other interpersonal skills. In addition, as students continue to spend more time online, there is a corresponding decrease in the amount of time students spend with their friends. According to a national survey of adolescents, the share of high school seniors that spent time with their friends “almost every day” dropped from 44 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022.

Furthermore, academic integrity is also compromised when cellphones are permitted in classrooms. When phones are accessible, it is easier for students to cheat and therefore more likely students feel tempted to cheat. This can contribute to school cultures that promote cheating, encouraging students to follow their peers’ bad behavior.

Finally, teenagers spend an unhealthy amount of time on their phones, regardless of the environment. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) showed that too much screen time can lead to adverse effects including lack of sleep, depression, anxiety, and more. In March of 2024, 95% of teenagers had access to a smartphone, and 38% of all teens admitted that they spend too much time on their phones. Lastly, a 2022 study found that those using smartphones in class reported worse psychological states, exhibiting higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of mindfulness. Due to all of these factors, it is in students’ best interest to have time during the day where they cannot access their phones, in an age where the smartphone is such an active part of teenagers’ lives. 

While there are legitimate concerns about student safety that arise from a phone-free classroom policy, such as parents’ worries about their children’s accessibility in emergencies, many teachers alongside other schooling professionals have asserted that children are actually more safe in emergencies when they do not have their phones. One example of a successful phone ban is at Richardson ISD in Dallas, where 85% of teachers claimed they received more instructional time with students in a cell-phone free environment. The evidence is overwhelming: smartphones significantly distract from learning, contribute to academic dishonesty, exacerbate cyberbullying, and foster social isolation. The negative impacts on students’ health further reinforce the need for a more focused, less disruptive learning environment. Implementing a phone ban in classrooms is a necessary step toward fostering academic success and ensuring a more engaging educational experience for students.