Smartphones have long been viewed as distracting, but hard evidence on how they affect students has been scarce. As of 2024, 40 percent of schools around the world had banned phones in classrooms, according to UNESCO, up from 30 percent in 2023. New research by Wharton assistant professor of operations, information, and decisions Alp Sungu, along with Pradeep Kumar Choudhury from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Andreas Bjerre-Nielsen from the University of Copenhagen, suggests these bans can meaningfully improve learning.
The Study
The semester-long experiment included nearly this many college students at 10 higher education institutions across India. Student cohorts were randomly assigned to either a phone ban condition — they were required to deposit their devices in a box at the start of each lecture — or a business-as-usual control group.
The Results
The study concluded that collecting phones at the start of class leads to higher grades and calmer classrooms. “Once phones are out of reach, classroom dynamics noticeably shifted,” said Sungu. “Grades follow.”
In fact, grades in phone-free classrooms rose by 0.086 standard deviations — a meaningful effect. According to the researchers’ paper, college students who were already struggling academically saw the biggest grade lift — roughly double the average effect.
The Downside?
Some critics worry that taking phones away could make students feel controlled or isolated. But the study finds no evidence that the bans hurt well-being or motivation levels. Students reported more anxiety about missing social updates during class, but Sungu noted that this effect might diminish under broader bans: “If everyone’s phone is away, there’s less happening to miss.” Perhaps most remarkably, students who experienced the ban became more supportive of it.
The Long View
For policymakers, the study offers a rare combination: a low-cost intervention with measurable benefits for the students who need them most. The implications could extend beyond education. Sungu and his co-authors argue that the findings might be reflective of a broader phenomenon: Phones can disrupt sustained attention not only in lectures but also in everyday activities, such as work, social interactions, driving, and sleep. “The takeaway is not a culture war about screens; it’s the evidence that a simple policy can deliver real, scalable gains,” Sungu said.
Published as “Can Classroom Cell-Phone Bans Boost Grades?” in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of Wharton Magazine.
