How are smartphones and digital devices in schools related to later child development?

Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill, in partnership with the NC Collaboratory and the NC Department of Public Instruction, are launching a new study to find the answers to this question across the state of North Carolina. The NC Phones and Tech in Schools study aims to include middle schoolers from across the state to find out how they use technology and how it impacts their attention, mood, behavior, and academic performance. This survey study is a partnership between the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development at UNC, the NC Collaboratory, and the NC Department of Public Instruction to support students and inform policy.

 

Highlights

    • Students will take a survey at school three times (Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Fall 2026).
    • Survey questions focus on device use, school phone policies, social media participation, AI awareness, mood, emotions, and behavior. A copy of the questions will be available before students take the survey. Students can skip any questions that they want and withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.
    • Researchers will also look at teacher data, school records, and existing school digital device policies.
    • All data will be totally private! Final research findings will combine all responses to learn more about students across North Carolina, without naming any individual child or school. This study has been approved by UNC’s Institutional Review Board and complies with all policies, including on data safety. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) has established standards and safeguards to protect participants’ information and to ensure compliance with federal and state information security regulations. Any identifiable data linking participants to their ID numbers will be securely stored and only accessible to the approved research team for 5 years and then destroyed.
    • The findings from this study may help to inform state policies on tech use in schools and support any initiatives schools may be working on, in addition to increasing researchers’ understanding of the effects of tech on kids.

 

Consent

Parents must fill out a consent form in order for their child to be included in the study. The form is available in English and Spanish and includes more information about the study.

 

Timeline

    • Fall 2025: Students take the survey
    • Spring 2026: Students take the survey again. Study team looks at the data.
    • April 2026: Report Out for NC Legislature
    • Fall 2026: Students take the survey again. Study team analyzes and interprets final results.

 

Still have questions?

Contact ncphonestudy@office.unc.edu

This project is supported by the North Carolina Collaboratory at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with funding appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly.