School phone bans are spreading across the United States, and new data shows they are having a measurable effect on student behavior during school hours. According to anonymized data from Findmykids, a family safety and parental control app, the average U.S. child used their phone for 34.7 minutes a day at school in September 2026, down about 15% from 40.7 minutes a year earlier. However, total daily screen time remained almost flat at roughly six hours: 367 minutes in 2025 and 365 minutes in 2026. This indicates that while bans successfully reduce phone use during school hours, children are simply shifting that usage to other times of the day.
The study compared U.S. children ages 9 to 18 during the same September week in both years, with 15,152 participants in 2025 and 11,112 in 2026. The data also revealed a notable shift in app usage: social media gained 20.6 minutes per day, while games lost 17.5 minutes. This suggests that even when overall screen time remains constant, the composition of that time is changing, with potentially different implications for children's social and cognitive development.
"Cutting phone use at school and cutting a child's total screen time are two separate tasks," said the Analytics Team at Findmykids. "For parents, the better question is when the phone gets used and what for." This insight underscores the importance of understanding not just how much time children spend on their phones, but also the context and purpose of that usage. Parents and educators may need to focus on promoting healthier habits around phone use rather than solely relying on bans to reduce overall screen time.
The findings have significant implications for policymakers and school administrators. While phone bans can effectively reduce distractions during class, they do not necessarily address excessive screen time outside of school. Parents might need to implement additional strategies, such as setting limits on social media use or encouraging alternative activities. Tools like Findmykids can help by providing detailed insights into app usage and allowing parents to schedule screen-free periods around homework, bedtime, or other critical times.
In the Findmykids app, parents can see how much time their child spends on their phone and which apps they use, then use that information to set limits or block distracting and inappropriate apps. They can also schedule screen-free periods around the times when phone use may be less appropriate, such as before and after school, during homework, or before bedtime. Location-based screen-time insights add another layer of context, showing which apps were used and for how long in different places. Beyond screen-time management, Findmykids offers family location sharing, allowing parents to see where family members are and, for example, know when their child arrives at school or leaves it.
The full study is available on the Findmykids blog. As the debate over school phone bans continues, this data highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to managing children's screen time, one that considers both the quantity and quality of phone use throughout the day.
