How Much Are Kids Using Their Phones?
• The average teen spends 7–9 hours per day on screens, not including schoolwork. (Common Sense Media, 2023)
• Kids get their first smartphone at age 10 on average. (Common Sense Media, 2023)
• 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 46% say they are online “almost constantly.” (Pew Research Center, 2022)
• Middle schoolers check their phones an average of 80 times per school day when allowed to carry them. (Boston Public Schools internal audit, 2023)
• Students lose 20 to 25 percent of instructional time when phones are accessible, due to micro-distractions, notifications, and "mental residue" after checking. (Rosen, Distracted Mind; Harvard Kennedy School)
• 97% of teens use their phones during the school day, even when it violates school rules. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
The Mental Health Impact
• Since smartphones and social media became widespread (around 2012), teen depression rates have more than doubled, and self-harm among teen girls has tripled. (CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2021)
• Teen girls who spend 5+ hours a day on social media are twice as likely to report being depressed as those who spend less than 1 hour. (Twenge et al., 2018)
• Sleep deprivation has spiked in teens — nearly 60% of high schoolers sleep less than 7 hours a night, a key risk factor for anxiety and depression. (CDC, 2023)
• Brain imaging studies show smartphone notifications activate the same reward pathways as addictive substances, making self-regulation especially difficult for developing brains. (NIH 2022)
• 72 % of school leaders feel that cell phones had a negative impact on students' mental health and 73 % feel phones negatively impacted attention spans. (Nat’l Center for Education Statistics, 2025)
Social & Developmental Shifts
• In-person socializing among teens has dropped by 50% since the early 2000s. (American Time Use Survey, 2021)
• Fewer kids play outside or with friends daily—down from 71% in the 1980s to less than 25% today. (The Anxious Generation, 2024)
• Independence milestones (riding bikes alone, walking to school, getting a first job) are all happening years later than in previous generations. (Haidt, 2024)
Especially Harmful for Girls
• Social media platforms are most harmful to adolescent girls, especially around body image and social comparison.
• Rates of self-harm among 10–14-year-old girls have risen 188% since 2010. (CDC, 2022)
• Instagram’s own internal research found that 32% of teen girls said it made them feel worse about their bodies. (Facebook Leaks, 2021)
But What About Emergencies?
According to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO): “Outside communication during [emergencies] makes students less safe… “Sounds or light from students’ phones could help an assailant locate potential victims. … Hundreds of students using phones simultaneously could degrade network performance and hinder essential emergency communications.”
NASRO Statement - Full Support of K-12 Bell-to-Bell
The group National School Safety & Security Services also supports a K-12 Bell-to-Bell Ban and notes that during a crisis:
Student phones may distract students from vital emergency response instructions.
Mass calls/texts can overload networks, hindering official communication channels.
Student device use may accelerate the spread of rumors/false alarms which can degrade situational control.
• Teens who delay smartphones until at least age 14–15 show lower anxiety, better focus, and stronger friendships. (Haidt, 2024)
• Outdoor play, in-person peer time, chores, and sports are all linked to higher resilience and mental health.
• Communities that adopt phone-free norms (e.g. “Wait Until 8th”) report more social connection and fewer conflicts among kids.
• Schools that implemented strict phone bans saw a 12 to 25 percent reduction in bullying within the first year. (London School of Economics, study of 91 schools)
• In schools that banned phones, learning gains were equivalent to adding an extra full week of instruction per year. (London School of Economics)
• Students who keep phones locked away (in a phone pouch) report being happier, less stressed, and more socially connected in school than peers who keep phones accessible. (Yondr School Survey, 2024)
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