Is the Decline in Academic Performance Due to Smartphones? Examining the Effectiveness of "School Smartphone Bans" with the Latest Data

On December 16, 2025, WBUR's "Here & Now," part of the U.S. public radio network, posed a question in a short news segment about the decline in academic test scores over the past decade and its relationship with smartphones and social media: "Can banning cell phones in schools help rebuild learning?" This topic easily becomes a "clear villain" in educational settings. However, it is also true that factors beyond the school's control, such as family circumstances, security, bullying, academic disparities, and post-pandemic learning delays, are piling up. So, how effective is "keeping smartphones away from schools"? We want to outline this by looking at research, voices from the field, and discussions on social media. Did test scores improve with the "smartphone ban"? A quasi-experiment in Florida One of the most notable studies in recent years focused on a large school district in Florida. State law restricted cell phone use "during class hours," but the district in question implemented a stricter "bell-to-bell" policy, requiring students to keep their phones silent and stored in their backpacks from arrival to departure, including lunch and transition times. The study combined smartphone activity data at the school building level (traces of use within the school) with administrative data on attendance, discipline, and test scores from the district. It confirmed a significant drop in smartphone use within the school after the regulations were implemented. Specifically, the NBER digest indicated that in-school smartphone activity decreased by about two-thirds on average. In terms of academic performance, the first year after implementation did not show clear improvements, but in the second year, scores began to rise slightly. Education Week reported that the effect was "modest," with an overall increase of 0.6 percentile points and about 1.1 points when comparing final spring tests. Looking at the numbers alone, one might think, "Is that all?" However, moving the average of a group of hundreds of thousands through policy is challenging. Even a small shift can become an "aggregate improvement for society" if the target is large—this evaluation underlies the debate. However, there are side effects: a surge in discipline (such as suspensions) and fairness On the other hand, the study strongly highlighted "side effects." It was reported that suspensions and other disciplinary actions increased in the early stages of implementation, with a monthly increase of 25% compared to the same month the previous year. Education Week and the Hechinger Report emphasized that the increase in suspensions during the first year could particularly affect Black students, highlighting issues in design such as "gradual implementation" and the difficulty of enforcing a ban while allowing possession. The key point here is the reality that the implementation of a smartphone ban inevitably causes friction, regardless of whether it is "right." The stricter the enforcement, the tighter the atmosphere in the school, and the greater the burden on teachers. Conversely, if enforcement is weak, the rules become hollow, and only those who follow them lose out. Policy becomes a tug-of-war between correctness and feasibility. The key to score improvement is not just "focus": attendance as an "alternative route" Another aspect not to be overlooked is the change in attendance. Education Week noted improvements in absenteeism (unexcused absences) among middle and high school students, suggesting a potential link to score improvements. Reasons could include "a calmer classroom atmosphere makes it easier to attend school" and "not being able to easily contact someone to pick you up in the middle of the day makes it harder to leave." At the very least, the perspective that "not being able to use smartphones in school" can affect not only focus but also behavior patterns (attendance) is significant. In other words, even if a smartphone ban is effective, it may not be a straightforward path of "increased attention during class." It could change the "comfort" and "ease of leaving" the school environment. Misinterpreting this could lead to the pitfall of not achieving the same effect by merely strengthening the ban. There are also counterarguments that it's not a "panacea": international research and student voices On the other hand, skepticism about the effectiveness of smartphone bans remains strong. A report from Dublin City University (DCU) in Ireland, based on a review of international research and qualitative surveys of students, concluded that the impact of smartphone bans on academics, bullying, and well-being is small/limited. It also pointed out that "the stricter the ban, the more students look for loopholes." This perspective is important. Even if smartphones are removed from schools, school-issued tablets and home devices remain. Furthermore, if the "restraint" at school leads to a rebound after school, the total screen time may not decrease. The ban must be considered in conjunction with the overall design of life (home, community, online space) to achieve the expected results. Reactions on social media: Proponents say it's "common sense," cautious voices focus on "implementation and safety," and skeptics argue "the effect is small." So, what are the perspectives of those on the ground and the general public? Reactions on social media and forums can be divided into three main points. 1) Proponents: "It's obvious that you can't focus on learning. Just take it away first." On Hacker News, posts emphasize that "parents' strong opposition to not being able to contact their children directly during the day" is a barrier to widespread adoption. Additionally, on the teacher community Reddit, there are repeated anecdotal accounts that managing smartphones within schools makes it easier to conduct classes. The logic of this group is simple: "Even adults lose to smartphones. There's no way children can win." As one of the few "reachable reforms" that schools can implement immediately, expectations are high for mobile phone regulations. 2) Cautious voices: "How do we handle safety and exceptions? Parents' anxiety won't go away." On the other hand, parental anxiety runs deep. Discussions on Reddit include serious concerns about not being able to connect directly with children in emergencies such as shootings or bomb threats, and distrust of school responses. Furthermore, it is pointed out that handling "exceptions" can become a flashpoint in the field, such as cases where smartphones are a lifeline for medical reasons (e.g., managing chronic illnesses) or where translation apps are needed for language support. Here, the key point is not a binary choice of "whether to ban or not," but whether emergency contact methods, medical considerations, and reasonable accommodations can be prepared as part of the system design in advance. 3) Skeptics: "The effect is small," "Other factors (test system or COVID-19 recovery)?" On Hacker News, there are doubts about the small increase in scores and whether it coincides with the "post-COVID recovery phase." The Hechinger Report also explains the difficulty of determining causality in academic improvement (the possibility of easier tests, the impact of other measures) with metaphors, while noting the ingenuity of the quasi-experiment and the remaining uncertainties. In other words, the stance is "smartphone bans might work, but don't raise expectations too high." When combined with DCU's summary that "international research is mixed," the discussion becomes quickly complex. So, how should it be designed: Five conditions to connect "bans" to outcomes To avoid ending the discussion with just "to ban or not to ban," considering research and social media points, at least the following conditions become apparent. Gradual introduction (grace period): If disciplinary actions are likely to spike in the early stages of implementation, introduce a "familiarization" process with warnings → guidance → measures. Standardization of storage methods: It can be inflammatory if teachers enforce individually. Pouches, etc., are not foolproof, and operations should be refined with the assumption of "being breached" and "loopholes emerging." Alternative routes for emergency contact: Do not dismiss parental anxiety as "imaginary." Visualize communication procedures during disasters and incidents. Monitoring of fairness: If there are signs of disciplinary actions being biased towards specific attributes, correct immediately. The fairness of implementation, rather than the correctness of rules, influences trust. Set digital literacy as part of the package: A ban alone tends to "explode after school." Do not relinquish the school's role in teaching how to navigate the online space. Conclusion: Smartphone bans can be "one measure," but it's not a battle that can be won "with just that." The question posed by WBUR—"Can banning smartphones rebuild learning?" The most honest answer at this point is, "Under certain conditions, it may have a small effect, but the side effects and limitations are significant." The Florida study shows that keeping smartphones away can change not only "focus" but also "attendance" and "school atmosphere," while the reality of increased disciplinary actions and fairness issues in the early stages of implementation cannot be avoided. And the reactions on social media reflect that reality even more vividly. "Parental anxiety," "loopholes," "medical considerations," "costs," "teacher burden"—smartphones have become more than just gadgets; they have become part of the infrastructure of life. Therefore, what schools should do is not just debate "whether to take them away." Can a path be created where children can control themselves after being taken away? Only when this is included does the ban become "education" rather than just a "measure for academic improvement." Reference Articles The Impact of Cell Phones and Social Media on Test Scores Source: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/12/16/cell-phones-test-scores Powered by Froala Editor