Phones at school: the evidence is honestly mixed
School phone bans are popular, but the biggest study so far found strict rules alone didn't change wellbeing. What did matter was total phone time across the day.
The research on school phone bans is mixed. The University of Birmingham's SMART Schools study (2025) found strict school rules cut phone use during the school day by about 40 minutes, but found no difference in wellbeing, sleep or grades. More total daily phone and social media time was linked with worse outcomes. A 2026 Norwegian study found no average effect of bans, but benefits for girls and less bullying for everyone.
What the research found
- SMART Schools (England, 2025). 1,227 students aged 12 to 15 in 30 secondary schools. Students at schools with restrictive phone policies used phones about 40 minutes less, and social media about 30 minutes less, during school. There was no difference in wellbeing, anxiety, depression, sleep, physical activity, English or math results, or classroom behavior. Across all students, more total phone and social media time was associated with worse mental health, sleep, activity, grades and behavior. It compared schools at one point in time; it wasn't a randomized trial.
- Norway (2026). An economics study of Norwegian middle schools found no average effect of phone bans on grades or mental health. For girls, bans were followed by fewer mental-health care visits and better grades, especially for girls from disadvantaged families. Bullying fell for both boys and girls.
- What teens think. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found US teens largely oppose all-day bans and are more divided about classroom-only bans.
Where experts disagree
The Birmingham team concluded that "school bans alone are not enough" and that families should focus on total use. Jonathan Haidt and Zach Rausch argue for fully phone-free school days and say the Birmingham schools mostly had partial rules, like phones kept in bags. Candice Odgers has written that device bans are unlikely to work well in practice.
How this shaped OurDot
Because evidence is mixed, school mode is the guardian's choice, not a default. Guardians pick the days and hours. Since total daily use mattered more than school rules alone, OurDot pairs school mode with sleep mode and daily game time. The guardian line stays open during school hours.
What we don't claim
- That school phone bans improve grades or mental health.
- That the Birmingham study supports bans. It mainly found no difference.
Sources
- Goodyear et al., "School phone policies and their association with mental wellbeing, phone use, and social media use (SMART Schools)," The Lancet Regional Health – Europe (2025)
- University of Birmingham, "School bans alone not enough" (Feb 2025)
- Abrahamsson, "Smartphone Bans, Student Outcomes and Mental Health," Journal of Human Resources (2026)
- Pew Research Center, teens and school phone bans (survey Sept–Oct 2025)