As school phone bans proliferate across the United States, new data shows that children are using their phones significantly less during school hours, but their overall daily screen time has remained virtually unchanged. 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 use stayed almost flat at roughly six hours: 367 minutes in 2025 and 365 minutes in 2026.
The study, which compared U.S. children ages 9 to 18 during the same September week in both years (15,152 children in 2025 and 11,112 in 2026), found that the composition of screen time shifted markedly. Social media gained 20.6 minutes per day, while games lost 17.5 minutes. This suggests that while bans may successfully curb phone use in school, children are simply reallocating that time to other apps and other settings, particularly social media.
"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." The findings imply that school phone bans, while effective in reducing in-school usage, do not automatically translate into reduced overall screen time. Instead, they may merely displace usage to after-school hours, potentially into less supervised environments.
For parents and educators, this underscores the need for a more nuanced approach to digital wellness. Rather than focusing solely on total screen time, understanding the context and purpose of phone use becomes essential. Tools that provide detailed insights into app usage and timing can help parents make informed decisions. In the Findmykids app, parents can see how much time their child spends on their phone and which apps they use, then set limits or block distracting and inappropriate apps. They can also schedule screen-free periods around 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. This combination of monitoring and location features can help families navigate the complexities of phone use in a digital age.
The full study is available on the Findmykids blog. Letem LTD is the developer of Findmykids, a globally recognized family safety and parental control application. Designed to provide parents with peace of mind, Findmykids offers real-time location tracking, app usage monitoring, and SOS features, empowering families to raise kids safely in a digital world. Learn more at https://findmykids.org/.
