To talk about academic performance today without mentioning smartphones is to be left half-baked. In just a decade, these devices have gone from being a luxury to becoming a constant companion for children and adolescents, both inside and outside the classroom. In Spain, clear steps have already been taken: Communities such as Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid have removed personal mobile phone use from their school regulations., opening an intense educational and social debate on opportunities, risks and the fine print of its regulation.
The data helps to take the pulse of the phenomenon: in Spain, 98% of children aged 10 to 15 use the Internet regularly and 7 out of 10 have a telephone., an upward trend since 2016 and with increases during 2020-2021. At the same time, recent surveys show a gap between what is recommended and what actually happens at home and at school: in Chile, the CNTV detected in 2023 that 64% of caregivers fear exposure to inappropriate content and 57% are concerned about the hours of digital consumption, a concern that resonates in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Overview of classroom use and policies
Those who defend restricting cell phones in class point to a central argument: sustained distraction. UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring report recalls that, after a telephone cut-off, It may take a student about 20 minutes to regain concentration., a huge toll in contexts where instructional time is precious. As a result, several European education systems are experimenting with stricter frameworks, while others are focusing on mediation and the pedagogical purpose of use.
On the family side, experts note that so-called digital immersion is occurring earlier and earlier, with screens present during meals, leisure time, and often during moments that were previously considered free play. It has become normal for children to use tablets or mobile phones to eat or calm down., a practice that many parents justify as educational when the content seems to be “learning animal sounds or colors,” but which displaces other key developmental experiences.
Potential educational benefits of the smartphone
Used wisely, mobile phones can add up. For example, they offer immediate access to content and resourcesFrom academic search engines to explanatory videos, to language, math, and reading apps that personalize student progress. This one-click access reduces barriers to instant problem resolution and allows for review outside of school hours.
It also reinforces the digital literacy, a set of skills that are no longer optional: critical information search, content creation, and management of tools and platforms. For the future, it is important not to lose sight of highly sought-after skills such as CRM, artificial intelligence, RPA, Big Data, cloud computing, or machine learning, which start with solid digital foundations in the early stages.
In cooperative work its potential is evident: agile communication and coordination with messaging apps and collaborative environments. In the classroom, these stand out: Google Calendar, Drive, and Meet; for projects, Trello; for communication, Slack. With these apps, groups of students share documents, comment in real time, and assign tasks without being physically in the same place.
Another advantage is the adaptation to diverse learning stylesSome learn best by reading, others by watching videos or interacting with gamified activities. Mobile helps compose this menu of formats and promotes learning continuity outside the classroom, provided there is connectivity and guidance.
There are even creative proposals to motivate teenagers, such as fiction chat apps (stories in chat format) or Apps to continue learning in the summer and others focused on the digital security Familiar. Well integrated into the teaching methodology and with clear goals, they diversify learning scenarios and connect with students' real interests.
Risks and adverse effects: what not to ignore
The reverse side of the coin is no less important. Digital multitasking penalizes academic performance: Notifications, networks, and games fragment attention and erode working memory. Furthermore, much of platform design relies on attentional capture, activating motivational circuits that push us to stay connected longer than intended.
There is a flank of coexistence and well-being: inappropriate use, classroom conflicts and cyberbullyingThe United Nations estimates that 1 in 3 students experiences bullying at school in a typical month, a fact that forces us to examine the social dimension of mobile phones in detail. The problem isn't just the tool, but how and what it is used for at sensitive ages.
La digital divide persists
UNICEF has noted that Two-thirds of school-age children lack an Internet connection at home. (approximately 1.300 billion between the ages of 3 and 17). Even when access is available, quality and speed can be limited. If cell phone use is normalized in the classroom without equity policies, the result can be greater inequality in learning and participation.
In health, various reports and clinical teams warn of links between Excessive screen time and anxiety, sleep disturbances and sedentary lifestyle, with peaks after the pandemic. The association with unhealthy eating in front of the screen And, in adolescents, an increase in online risks such as exposure to inappropriate content or contact with strangers. Note: it's no small feat when it comes to habits that are established very quickly.
Another impact noted is the possible impoverishment of social skills If use is excessive: less face-to-face play time, less practice of assertiveness, empathy, or conflict resolution. Developmental psychologists insist that the decisive factor is what children stop doing while looking at screens: if it displaces free play, sleep, reading or relationships, the balance is tipped towards negative results.
What does the evidence say: relevant studies and reviews?
Recent scientific literature offers a nuanced outlook, with consistent results in some areas and mixed results in others. As a map, these studies help us understand the relationship between smartphones and academic performance:
- Paterna et al. (2024) They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on problematic smartphone use and performance, finding a negative association when use is unregulated or excessive.
- Kus (2025) It synthesizes, in a broad meta-analysis, how various technological factors relate to academic performance, highlighting the importance of context and mediation.
- Jia et al. (2022) followed students aged 10 to 19 in Shanghai and found that smartphone time and total screen time were associated with more academic stress.
- Singh et al. (2021) documented in schools in India the relationship between Mobile dependence, behaviors and performance in adolescents.
- Hilt (2020) analyzed cell phone dependence, habits and attitudes toward reading, with clear links to academic performance.
- Muñoz, Díaz and Sabariego (2023) studied the impact of social networks like Instagram and TikTok in adolescents, with effects on their performance.
- Spiratos and Ratanasiripong (2023) They explored problematic smartphone use in secondary school, providing evidence on its prevalence and associated risks.
- Calderón and Sánchez (2021) y Castillo and Medina (2024) analyzed the relationship between mobile devices and learning in the adolescent population, highlighting that the design of use and the institutional context make the difference.
Other important studies on academic performance and mobile phone use
- Carrillo et al. (2020) They posed the key question: learning tool or distracting agent?, connecting this duality with academic performance.
- Gonzabay and Ramírez (2024) They focused on apps and performance in high school, pointing out benefits when aligned with curricular objectives.
- Dzib (2022) studied the influence of smartphones in the university during the “new normal,” with findings on habits and academic results.
- Zavala (2020) investigated mobile phone use and performance in high school in Guayaquil, reinforcing patterns observed in the region.
- Zuleta, Ramos and Hernández (2024) They systematically reviewed the literature on excessive use and academic performance, confirming adverse effects when supervision is lacking.
- Rumiche-Valdez (2021) synthesized positive and negative effects of ICT in education, stressing that balance and pedagogical guidance are decisive.
- UNESCO (2023) offers guidelines for integrating ICT in education, with emphasis on improve learning and reduce risks.
In addition, there is a block of studies focused on Chile that allows us to refine our understanding of cognitive and socio-emotional effects in childhood. UC has advanced relevant empirical evidence.
Lessons from Chile: cognitive and socio-emotional effects
A work led by Tomás Rau, using the expansion of 4G and 5G antennas as an exogenous variation, exploited geographic and temporal differences in deployment and estimated the effects of mobile Internet exposure on child development using a panel data model with fixed effects. Their results, using the ELPI (Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey), reveal a dual pattern: improvements in receptive vocabulary y poorer results in socio-emotional development.
The heterogeneity is striking: No differences emerge by gender, birth order, maternal education or presence of the father, but by territory, concentrating the effects in children from rural areasA plausible channel? Fewer trips to the park or visiting friends when screen time increases, displacing in-person social interactions that are key to development.
In parallel, the Educational Justice Center has been following 1.000 families in the Thousand First Days study, with in-depth ethnographies. Their qualitative analysis found that screen use triggered alarms in children under 5: The problem is not the technology per se, but what it replaces when it occupies moments of play, conversation and bonding. In addition, a study using CBCL methodology and 669 Chilean children (evaluated twice in two years) found an association between Screen time and internalizing and externalizing problems at 3 years.
Brain mechanisms, attention, and possible reversibility
Neuroscience suggests mechanisms that help us understand these effects. A central one is the attentional capture of social networks and video games, designed to maximize permanence through signals that activate motivational circuits. Added to this is the phenomenon of training: Screens can synchronize brain rhythms with the cadence of the stimulus, something observed when watching movies and which, with intense use (for example, more than six hours a day), could "adjust" oscillatory patterns in an unnatural way. It's still a field under exploration, but it deserves attention.
Continued use also alters the attention cycles throughout the day (focus, exploration, introspection). In parallel, a higher incidence of ADHD-like symptoms has been described in association with excessive use, although causality is unclear: We don't know if ADHD drives more screen time or if excessive screen time exacerbates symptoms.. Moreover, there are signs of partial reversibility: with adult accompaniment, some meta-analyses suggest that the negative effects on literacy skills can be neutralized and even turned positive.
Other experiments with university students in the United States indicate that Well-being improves by temporarily reducing social networks, although the habit tends to rebound after the intervention ends. That is, there is room for improvement with support and guidance, but habits quickly reestablish themselves without a sustained plan.
Regulation: between prohibition and guided use
Regularity is not trivial. In England, a study found no clear effects on Mental Wellness after restricting cell phones in schools, suggesting that the measure alone may be insufficient. However, other research found that limiting classroom use was associated with better results on standardized tests (around 6,4%), especially among students with low academic performance. Two different images of the same problem: design and compliance matter.
A recent analysis with PISA 2022 data led by Rau adds another piece: in centers with explicit prohibition and, above all, with effective enforcement (students report very low daily usage in class), students show Less anxiety about checking your phone, less pressure to respond, and less distraction. during lessons. That is, the rule works when accompanied by culture and reasonable control.
The pediatric recommendation, in line with U.S. and Canadian academies, is clear: avoid screens before age 2; between 2 and 5-6, maximum one hour daily, with support and quality content; later, limited uses that don't interfere with sleep, exercise, reading, relationships, and free play. These are pillars that, when well communicated, help families and schools pull together.
The digital ecosystem also counts
Some tech companies have tightened policies for minors. For example, they have activated Content limitations, parental controls, and no-night notification windows (such as 22:00 PM to 07:00 AM on certain platforms), with parental supervision of messages on teen accounts. These are useful steps, but insufficient if there is no family-school coordination.
One last note on public policy: more access does not always equal better results. In Peru, the one laptop per child did not generate significant improvements in academic achievement or cognitive skills; in Uruguay, greater exposure to fiber optics was associated with declines in child development indicators in communication, problem-solving, and social skills. The message is clear: What matters is why, how and with whom.
Practical strategies for centers and families
Beyond the general framework, there are specific tactics that work. First, promote responsible use: realistic time limits, screen-free schedules, activating do-not-disturb modes, and commitments to mindfulness during study. At school, laying out simple and consistent rules reduces conflict and normalizes expectations.
Second Integrate mobile phones into teaching planningIf an activity requires an app, it should have a clear learning objective, an assessment rubric, and limited time. Well-structured platforms like Google Drive/Docs or Microsoft Teams increase collaboration without diluting attention.
Third, give prominence to the mobile learning on the go: educational podcast on journeys, observation activities outside the classroom with reflective photographic recording, reading practices with guided breaks. It is about avoid endless screen sessions and take advantage of its portability to enrich experiences.
Fourth, use proper names to motivate: apps to review in summer, Tools for family digital safety, or narrative formats such as chat fiction to engage those who read best in short formats. And, of course, collaborative environments such as Google Calendar, Drive or Meet, as well as Trello and Slack, which teach organization and communication.
Equity and the digital divide: a fundamental challenge
Without a focus on equity, any strategy falls short. If two-thirds of school-age children in the world They don't have Internet at home, any policy that depends on mobile must be accompanied by affordable connectivity, shared devices, libraries and centers with access and, above all, adult mediation. Even with good connections, it's worth remembering the Uruguayan case: More bandwidth does not guarantee better development if there is no guidance, purpose and balance with off-screen experiences.
In rural or vulnerable contexts, it is key for the school to coordinate with local services to enable safe connection spaces, lend devices when needed, and ensure that no task requires resources that the family cannot provide. Technology should close gaps, not open them..
Looking at the big picture, smartphones can be a great ally or a major obstacle depending on how they are used. The evidence converges on one point: adult accompaniment, quality of content, reasonable time and the pedagogical objective They make the difference between supporting academic performance or undermining it. With clear rules in schools, coordination with families, and teaching strategies that integrate mobile devices when they add value and set them aside when they detract, there is real room to enhance the good and mitigate the bad. And, of course, with special attention to the digital divide, mental health, and that "time stolen" from sleeping, playing, reading, and being with others that, if we neglect it, no device can restore.. Share this information so other users can help improve their children's academic performance..