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Policies to Put Smartphones Away May Have Limited Impact on College Students' Classroom Experience

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Title: Policies to Put Smartphones Away May Have Limited Impact on College Students' Classroom Experience
Language: English
Authors: Paula K. S. Yust (ORCID 0000-0002-0087-9241), Hannah Moshontz (ORCID 0000-0003-4345-3715), Michelle Wong, Kayley Dotson, Kostadin Kushlev, Bridgette M. Hard (ORCID 0000-0002-3146-4348)
Source: Mind, Brain, and Education. 2026 20(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, School Policy, College Students, Computer Use, Attention
DOI: 10.1111/mbe.70044
ISSN: 1751-2271
1751-228X
Abstract: How do smartphone policies shape students' experiences in the classroom? Smartphone presence has been linked with greater distraction and can undermine enjoyment in social contexts, but the effects of having smartphones out in the classroom have received less attention. We randomly assigned 234 college students to attend a 30-min lecture where they were told to either put their phones away or leave their phones out. We evaluated how these instructions affected students' distraction, attention, enjoyment, and comprehension of lecture content. Students instructed to put smartphones away reported less distraction during the lecture compared to students instructed to leave smartphones out. However, no other differences emerged. Our results suggest that, despite evidence that smartphones can undermine enjoyment and learning, instructing students to put smartphones away had limited impact in this specific context. Limitations and potential implications for classroom engagement and learning are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/rtpsh/?view_only=beed1afff706441d9f9e8e641fa5941f
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506202
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paula+K%2E+S%2E+Yust%22">Paula K. S. Yust</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0087-9241">0000-0002-0087-9241</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hannah+Moshontz%22">Hannah Moshontz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4345-3715">0000-0003-4345-3715</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michelle+Wong%22">Michelle Wong</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kayley+Dotson%22">Kayley Dotson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kostadin+Kushlev%22">Kostadin Kushlev</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bridgette+M%2E+Hard%22">Bridgette M. Hard</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3146-4348">0000-0002-3146-4348</externalLink>)
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: How do smartphone policies shape students' experiences in the classroom? Smartphone presence has been linked with greater distraction and can undermine enjoyment in social contexts, but the effects of having smartphones out in the classroom have received less attention. We randomly assigned 234 college students to attend a 30-min lecture where they were told to either put their phones away or leave their phones out. We evaluated how these instructions affected students' distraction, attention, enjoyment, and comprehension of lecture content. Students instructed to put smartphones away reported less distraction during the lecture compared to students instructed to leave smartphones out. However, no other differences emerged. Our results suggest that, despite evidence that smartphones can undermine enjoyment and learning, instructing students to put smartphones away had limited impact in this specific context. Limitations and potential implications for classroom engagement and learning are discussed.
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