Smartphone and social media use among teens is near universal and frequent.

Data shows teens receive an average of 237 notifications on their phone a day. We know phones are not only a distraction for the owner of the phone, but the entire class is disrupted by the constant ringing, buzzing, and checking of these devices.  This not only results in learning loss for students, but it creates a frustrating environment for educators who try to maintain focus and order in the classroom.

Between 2010-2015, the percent of U.S. teens with smart phones rose from 23% to 73%, with a quarter admitting to being online “almost constantly”. Now, teens spend an average of nearly 8 hours on screens per day, the equivalent of a full-time job.

Smartphone and social media use contributes to poor mental health, physical health, and academic outcomes in teens.

• 45% of teens reported feeling overwhelmed by the drama on social media and 26% reported feeling worse about their own lives (Pew Research Center, 2018).
• Nearly half of U.S. teens aged 13-17 reported experiencing cyberbullying at least once (Pew Research, 2022).
• There has been a steep decline in mental health in children since the early 2010s:
  • Rates of depression among teens increased around 150% (American Psychological Association, 2018)
  • Suicide rate for kids ages 10-14 tripled between 2007 and 2021 (Centers for Disease Control, 2023).
  • Suicide rate for girls ages 10-14 rose 131% from 2010 to 2019 (Centers for Disease Control, 2023).

Sleep patterns also changed during that time, with more and more teens reporting less sleep and studies showing that access to and use of mobile devices before bed were significantly associated with inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

In 2012, math and reading scores dropped for the first time in 25 years, beginning a downward trend that continues today.

In addition to the emotional, physical, and academic toll that excessive smartphone and social media use has on our children, behavioral issues have also increased in the form of cyberbullying and costly pranks.

The addictive qualities of smartphones and social media apps have an even worse impact on young children.

A new study published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities found that children who receive smartphones before the age of 13 were significantly more likely to experience serious mental health problems in early adulthood including aggression, emotional instability, and suicidal thoughts.

Yet the average age for a child to have a smartphone in Pennsylvania is reportedly 10.5, a number that seems to get younger every year.

Parents and teachers are worried and want change.

74% of U.S. adults say they would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, up from 68% last fall (Pew Research Center, 2025).

72% of US high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom (Pew Research Center, 2024).

90% of teachers support prohibiting the use of phones during instructional time (National Education Association poll from 2024).

75% of teachers support a bell-to-bell ban, which prohibits the use of cellphones from the first bell of the school day until the last bell of the school day (National Education Association poll from 2024).