Do students want their phones during school? [ft. DoSomething Strategic]

The latest episode of Reality checks with Brian Reitz features Max Steinman, VP of DoSomething Strategic, a social impact consultancy arm of DoSomething.org. Max is joined by Shaun, a high school student and DoSomething member who participated in the organization’s EMBER Collective with Blue Shield of California.

“My project [with the EMBER Collective] revolved around a social media page that was called the ‘For Us’ project, basically spreading positivity around the Internet,” said Shaun.

For this episode, YouGov and DoSomething Strategic partnered on a survey of 600 US youths aged 12-17, which explored the reality of what students think about adult decision-making, school cell phone bans, their own phone habits, and the state of the world.

“This issue of cell phone bans is really interesting to us, because we think that legislators and school administrators are not necessarily listening enough to what young people think about having technology in schools, both in terms of the policies and then how they’re being rolled out,” said Steinman.

Most US teens think adults include them in decisions that affect their lives

Despite Steinman’s initial trepidation, the data reveals a positive trend in youth engagement, with 55% of US adolescents aged 12-17 reporting that adults "always" or "often" involve them in decisions affecting their lives, with an additional 39% feeling they are “sometimes” included.

“This is positive,” said Steinman, citing previous studies that indicated teens felt lawmakers didn’t understand or listen to youth perspectives. “Other figures in teens’ lives are consulting them and checking in with them, so maybe it’s lawmakers that we need to turn to,” said Steinman.

What cell phone policies did students have heading into the 2025-26 school year?

Heading into the 2025-26 school year, most US youth aged 12-17 (60%) said that smartphones are allowed in their schools but not during class time.

Reflecting on his school’s policy, Shaun said, “During class times, it’s only with teacher approval that phones are allowed to be used, because I think the main usage you would get out of a phone in a classroom is music during work, sharing something, or joining a group activity that’s online. I don’t think a lot of people are actually scrolling through TikTok while class is going on, and if they are, I don’t think it’s necessarily allowed.”

Only 6% of students said their schools permit smartphone use at any time, while 15% indicated a policy completely banning the devices.

How do different regions of the US handle cell phones in school?

While we previously found that the majority of students (60%) say their schools allow smartphones but not in class, the Midwest shows the highest percentage (68%) for this policy.

Of note, the South has the strictest approach, with 20% of US youth aged 12-17 saying their schools have completely banned smartphones, compared to only 7% in the Midwest.

Steinman correctly predicted this result. “Florida was actually the first state to pass a ban… and there have been a couple other states in the South that have joined their ranks.”

Most students think cell phones shouldn’t be allowed in class

YouGov’s survey of 600 US youth aged 12-17 found that a majority of students (59%) favor allowing smartphones on campus but not in classrooms, with girls (63%) slightly more supportive of this policy than boys (56%). This total nearly lines up with amount who said that it was their school’s current policy (60%).

Nearly a quarter of students (23%) believe smartphones should be permitted in class with teacher approval, while 13% supported a complete ban (14% boys vs 11% girls).

Girls slightly more impacted by notification Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Overall, more than half of US youth aged 12-17 (57%) report worrying about missing digital communications at least sometimes while in school.

“I think FOMO is the symptom of our anxious generation,” said Shaun.

The data reveals a significant gender disparity in how often US youth worry about missing digital communications while at school. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to "always" worry about missing messages, notifications, or social media posts (8% vs 4%). 

Without phones, kids would turn to other forms of entertainment

When asked what they would do without their phones for two days, US youth aged 12-17 said they would primarily turn to alternative forms of entertainment. Watching more TV or streaming shows tops the list at 61%, followed by playing video games or using other devices at 52%.

Nearly two-fifths of respondents (38%) said they would spend more time outside or doing physical activities, indicating a potential for increased time away from screens.

However, 32% would expect to feel bored without their phones and 20% anticipate anxiety or stress.

Among specific age groups:

• TV and streaming consumption peaks at age 14 (77%) and is lowest at age 17 (51%).
• Outdoor activities and physical exercise are most popular among 12-year-olds (49%) and least popular with 17-year-olds (29%).
• Sleeping more is a common choice for older teens, with 40% of 16-year-olds and 39% of 17-year-olds selecting this option, compared to only 23% of 12-year-olds.
• Feeling bored without knowing what to do is most prevalent among 12-year-olds (40%) and least common among 17-year-olds (24%).
• Doing more schoolwork or studying is most likely among 16-year-olds (32%) and least likely among 17-year-olds (14%).

Teens today tend to think they have it better than their parents did, though demographic differences emerge

Most US youth aged 12-17 view their lives as better compared to their parents' at the same age, with 51% saying their lives are either "much better" or "a little better." However, a significant portion (18%) believe their lives are worse, indicating a mixed perception of generational progress.

Gender differences are notable, with boys expressing more optimism than girls. 54% of boys view their lives as better compared to 47% of girls. Additionally, girls are more likely to perceive their lives as worse, with 21% of girls saying their lives are "a little worse" or "much worse" compared to only 15% of boys.

Regional disparities are also evident, with Southern youth demonstrating the highest level of optimism. 55% of US youth aged 12-17 in the South believe their lives are better than their parents' were at the same age, compared to 44% in the Northeast. The Northeast also has the highest percentage of youth (19%) who feel their lives are "a little worse" than their parents’.

“I can empathize heavily with those who answered worse,” said Shaun. “Something I’ve experienced with technology usage is that your problems aren’t exactly your problems anymore. The exposure to everything else going on in the world will weigh on an individual.”