As school phone bans become more common across the United States, new data shows that children are using their phones less during school hours, but their overall screen time has not decreased. 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 remained nearly flat at approximately 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, included 15,152 participants in 2025 and 11,112 in 2026. While overall screen time stayed constant, the composition of app usage shifted. Social media gained 20.6 minutes per day, while games lost 17.5 minutes per day. This suggests that when phone use is restricted at school, children may simply reallocate that time to other apps or periods, rather than reducing their total screen time.
"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 that school bans alone may not address broader concerns about excessive screen time. Instead, parents might need to focus on managing when and how their children use their phones.
Findmykids offers tools to help parents monitor and manage screen time. In the 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 provides family location sharing, allowing parents to see where family members are and know when their child arrives at school or leaves it. 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 through real-time location tracking, app usage monitoring, and SOS features.
The findings highlight a critical implication: as schools adopt phone bans, parents must recognize that these measures may not automatically reduce overall screen time. The shift toward social media and away from games indicates that children's digital habits are adaptable, and without proactive parental involvement, the benefits of school bans could be offset by increased usage elsewhere. For families, the takeaway is clear: managing screen time requires a comprehensive approach that considers both location and content, not just restrictions during school hours.
