Preliminary study shows many NC middle schoolers flout phone bans

by Ahmed Jallow, NC Newsline
March 31, 2026

A preliminary survey of 2,299 North Carolina middle schoolers found that most bring smartphones to school and many use them despite rules meant to prevent that, researchers told lawmakers Tuesday.

The study, led by Kaitlyn Burnell of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, surveyed students in 22 schools and teachers in 19 schools in December. Nearly 300 teachers responded.

These are early findings, with follow-up surveys planned in April and again in the fall to track changes over time. Every school in the sample required phones to be stored in backpacks, lockers or locked containers.

“Despite policies being in place in the schools that we sampled, many are continuing to use their phones, and existing policies are not necessarily always enforced or followed,” Burnell told the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee. According to the survey, 76% of student smartphone owners bring their device to school every day.

The findings come after lawmakers passed a law last year requiring school districts to adopt policies limiting student access to phones and other personal devices during the school day, leaving enforcement largely up to local school boards. Students described those rules as strict but unevenly enforced. While 62.9% of students say their school “always” enforces the policy, a notable minority reported that enforcement is inconsistent. Many said classmates use phones when they are not supposed to.

The survey also found that students often turn to their devices when they feel bored, lonely or stressed, and frequently use them to communicate with friends and parents during school hours.

Teachers reported that students are distracted by both their own devices and those of their peers. Over 54% of teachers reported experiencing at least some level of stress from managing student device usage during instructional time.

The preliminary survey also found that school-issued devices can be just as disruptive as phones, with 34% of students reporting bypassing school filters to access games and social media. Students also reported using school tools like shared documents to chat about off-task topics.

Lawmakers questioned how far to take the findings. While voicing concern for the use of technology in schools, Rep. Heather Rhyne (R-Lincoln) said the survey represents a small number of students statewide, and cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from early data.

Burnell acknowledged the sample represents a “very small fraction” of the state, but noted the group is demographically representative, including 51.6% white, 12% Hispanic, and 9.6% Black participants

“I think it’s crucial that we pause before we make decisions based on such a small sample size,” Rhyne said. “I’m just not sure that this gives us the information that we need.”

Rhyne also pointed to enforcement, not policy, as the central issue, saying local school boards — not the state — are responsible for carrying out device restrictions.

“If students don’t feel like their policy is being enforced, or parents don’t, those are the people they’ve got to turn to,” he said.

Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) asked whether students are using devices to bully classmates, noting that concerns about cyberbullying helped drive the legislation.

Burnell said the survey captured reports of both cyberbullying and in-school bullying, but said the preliminary data do not yet show how device policies are affecting those behaviors.

She said the next phases of the study will track whether stricter rules are linked to changes in bullying over time. Previous research, she added, suggests limiting phone use can reduce those incidents, though not eliminate them.

Some lawmakers suggested the state may need to go further.

Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee), who said he requested the presentation after hearing concerns from local school boards, floated the idea of a stricter, statewide approach — potentially banning phone use “bell to bell” during the school day.

Right now, he said, many schools allow phones at certain times, like lunch or homeroom, making enforcement inconsistent.

“They’re allowing them to use them at different times during the day. That’s very difficult to police,” Corbin said.

Researchers plan additional surveys this spring and fall to examine how device use relates to academics, behavior and bullying, including online harassment.

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