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Smartphones Distract Students: Limit Use to Boost Focus

3/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study finds middle and high school students spend one-third of the school day on smartphones for social media.
Researchers tracked use over two weeks and found frequent checking correlates with weaker attention and impulse control.
Lead researcher Eva Telzer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says that limiting smartphone access during school hours could boost focus and inform policies.

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Story summary

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study finds middle and high school students spend one-third of the school day on smartphones for social media.
Researchers tracked use over two weeks and found frequent checking correlates with weaker attention and impulse control.
Lead researcher Eva Telzer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says that limiting smartphone access during school hours could boost focus and inform policies.