‘It’s only getting worse’: UW professor reveals alarming teen phone use at school
Jan 11, 2026, 5:00 AM
A study by the University of Washington (UW) revealed that children across America are using their phones in school at alarming rates, with 25% of students spending a quarter of their school day on a cell phone.
The study analyzed 640 teenagers across the U.S. through a tracking app on their phones, which monitored what they did during the day and night and for how long.
Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a professor of pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine, discussed the findings on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, labeling the usage as concerning and addictive.
“The short answer is that the typical teenager in the U.S. spends about an hour and 15 minutes on their phone during the school day,” Christakis said. “Twenty-five percent of kids spend a quarter of their school day on their phone. If you’re about to ask me, wait, maybe they’re using it for educational reasons. No, they were on social media using TikTok or Instagram.
“We don’t know whether they were using it during class time or during lunch or in the hallway, but you know what, it doesn’t really matter to me anyway because I think all of that time is precious,” Christakis continued. “If they’re using it in the classroom, they’re clearly not paying attention to what they should be learning, and if they’re using it at lunch or in the hallway, they’re not taking the opportunity to engage with their classmates in real-time and space. Kids need that, we all need it.”
Christakis noted that the COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened the problem, with children stuck indoors for prolonged periods and only able to communicate via technology.
“I hate to say it, but the pandemic made it worse. Many of us, myself included, have been concerned about screen time during the pandemic,” Christakis said. “Thankfully, it’s in the rearview mirror. But the problem of overuse and over-reliance on social media is by no means gone, and in fact, it’s only getting worse. It concerns me. There is only so much time in the day, and is this time well spent?
“The reality is that it should surprise no one to learn that these companies, for years, have hired the smartest computer engineers out of college and financially incentivized them to make products that are so engaging that you can’t put them down, and created products that are addictive,” Christakis continued. “We don’t allow children today access to addictive products or addictive behaviors, whether it’s alcohol, tobacco, or gambling, precisely because we think they don’t have the cognitive capacity to limit their use of it, and they’re at high risk of overuse and addiction.”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
