As school phone bans spread across the United States, children are using their phones less during the school day, but their overall screen time has hardly budged, according to anonymized data from Findmykids, a family safety and parental control app.
In September 2026, the average U.S. child used their phone for 34.7 minutes a day at school, down about 15% from 40.7 minutes a year earlier. Yet total daily use stayed almost flat at roughly six hours: 367 minutes in 2025 and 365 in 2026. What changed was the app mix: social media gained 20.6 minutes a day, while games lost 17.5.
“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 study compared U.S. children ages 9 to 18 during the same September week: 15,152 in 2025 and 11,112 in 2026.
The findings suggest that while school bans may succeed in reducing phone use during class and on campus, they do not necessarily translate into less overall screen time. Instead, children may be shifting their phone use to other times of day, such as after school or before bed, and changing what they do on their devices. The rise in social media use and decline in gaming indicate that the nature of screen time is evolving, even if the total amount remains stable.
For parents, the data underscores the importance of understanding not just how much time children spend on their phones, but when and how they use them. 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.
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/.
