Select Region
Let's Get Social!


New Study Says Cellphones Are to Blame for Failing Grades

New Study Says Cellphones Are to Blame for Failing Grades

Students who used smartphones in or laptops in class scored lower on tests.


You know your kids are addicted to tech, but you might not know how harmful that dependency can be. A new study suggests that using electronic devices can lower students' grades.

In a study published in the journal Educational Psychology, researchers divided 118 upper-level college students into two groups. Both groups were enrolled in the same course and were taught the same material by the same instructor in the same classroom at roughly the same time of day. The big difference: One group was allowed to use laptops and cell phones for non-classroom purposes.

The group using devices scored lower on exams by about a half a letter grade. In some cases, this was the difference between passing and failing. Students who didn't use a device but were in the same classroom with those who did also scored lower.

"These finding should alert the many dedicated students and instructors that dividing attention is having an insidious effect that is impairing their exam performance and final grade," Arnold Glass, PhD, the lead researcher for the study and a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, told ABC News.



This new study is just one in a long list of recent studies that highlight the way smartphones can actually hinder productivity. In 2016, one study found that just the presence of a cell phone impaired performance on tests. In another study, 80 percent of students admitted the use of technology, whether their own or that of a classmate, in the classroom negatively affected their ability to pay attention.

More Parenting Articles:

New NYPL Teen Center: A Safe, Inclusive Space for Young Adults

The NYPL teen center recently opened in Midtown Manhattan. It offers fun and educational activities for young adults and serves as a model for future ...


Latest News:

How to Help Your Kids Have A Positive Body Image

Teens often have negative body images, so here's how parents can help with body positivity.


Family Activities:



Have a Laugh:

Best Memes of the Week for Parents

Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.
Brigitt Earley

Author: Brigitt Earley is a freelance writer and editor based in NJ. She’s a new mom to a baby boy, runs an Instagram account full of the most delicious food she can find (@literallyallthefood), and loves to hate a good barre class. See More

Featured Listings:

Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy

Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy

Kate Tempesta’s Urban Golf Academy (UGA) brings golf to children as young as 3 years old! Check out their weekly programs in on the Upper East Side or...

ProHEALTH Dental

ProHEALTH Dental

ProHEALTH Dental was founded in 2016 in Lake Success to break down the historical barrier between medicine and dentistry. Our goal is to improve oral ...

Long Island Nets Basketball Games

Long Island Nets Basketball Games

Uniondale , NY Professional basketball is back on Long Island! The Long Island Nets are the official NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets playing from Novembe...

Kids Country Day Camp

Kids Country Day Camp

Mount Sinai, NY Kids Country Day Camp is a sports, adventure, and recreational day camp for children 3 - 12 years of age. We are located on 10 beautiful acres in the ...