Schools

Generation Text: See the full NBC survey results as principals reveal concern about phones in schools

70% of respondents said kids should be 14 or older before they get phones, but the same percentage estimated most kids get their first device at age 10 or younger.

By NBC New York Staff • Published July 29, 2024 • Updated on July 30, 2024 at 11:39 am

An exclusive national survey of school administrators shows principals and vice principals are alarmed by how smartphones and social media have transformed school hallways and classrooms.

By wide margins, hundreds of school leaders polled in the survey said they believe phones are having negative impacts on student mental health, making kids tired and distracted, and amplifying conflict and bullying in school communities.

See the full results here, taken from June 24 through July 25, 2024.

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Source: National survey of members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). 559 respondents answered a set of 25 questions with a +/- 4% margin of error as calculated by SurveyMonkey.