A University of Southern California survey finds students spend an average of 1.5 hours using the phone in school every day no matter how restrictive policies are, according to an article in The 74. At least 33 states ban or limit cellphones during instructional time.
About 98% of students attend schools with cell phone restrictions, according to the study. Some 76% of teens and 93% of parents said they support some type of ban.
But students still use their cellphones in school. About two-thirds of teens at schools with complete phone bans said they use their device during the day, including in class. More than half of students whose school restricts cellphones during instructional time don’t follow the rules.
Most students reported two types of cellphone bans: either prohibiting use for the entire day or only during instructional time. Almost 75% of teens report that no matter the policy, their school lets them keep their phones with them. About 5% said their school doesn’t permit cellphones on school property.
The average of 1.5 hours of cellphone use each day regardless of the type of ban matches other recent research that found students ages 13 to 18 spend an average of 70 minutes on their smartphones during the school day, typically using social media or gaming apps.
Restricting cellphone use only during class instruction is a rule that 68% of students and 53% of parents support. About 24% of teens and 7% of parents said they would prefer no restrictions.
Schools rules are “just right” according to 42% of teens and 76% of parents. About 48% of students and 8% of parents said rules were too strict. Half of students said their school’s rules were different and stricter than the previous year’s.
Most teachers enforce phone policies, according to the study. Nearly two-thirds of students said their teacher gives a verbal warning if someone breaks the rules. Other common consequences: taking the device away for the rest of class or for the entire day; notifying parents; giving detention; or requiring a parent to pick up the phone.
The teens and adults surveyed by USC said they don’t believe cellphone policies have much of a damaging effect. Most said the rules had no impact on sense of community, relationships with teachers and bullying or fighting. Most students also said there was no effect on academic performance, making friends or their likelihood of attending school.
About 28% of the teens said the rules made the classroom learning environment better, while 26% said they made it worse. One-third of students said the policies improve academic integrity or reduce cheating, while 19% said the opposite.
Stricter cell phone policies are associated with more positive outcomes reported by teachers, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania survey of 20,000 educators. Nearly half of schools in the study have a “no show” rule — where students can have their phones if they keep them out of sight — but this policy isn’t as effective as more restrictive rules.
“The stricter the policy, the happier the teacher and the less likely students are to be using their phones when they aren’t supposed to,” says University of Pennsylvania Professor Angela Duckworth about the data. “We’re also finding that focus on academics is higher in schools that do not permit students to keep their phones nearby, including in their backpacks or back pockets.”
The 74
