Traditional lecture formats (e.g. those without breaks for interaction, engagement or use of multimedia) can strain student attention, making students more likely to pull out their phone and seek new input (McCoy, 2016; Bradley, 2022). Teaching modality is not the only factor that may create or exacerbate student boredom– there are many reasons outside of the control of an instructor that may contribute to student boredom in a given course. But incorporating student engagement during a class session may reduce opportunities for students to lapse into boredom and thus use their phones.

FOMO and boredom are related concepts when it comes to cellphone usage, in that both causes for disengagement are seemingly “solved” by the immediate input provided by a phone. For the student who is worried about “missing” something, they may habitually check their messages or social media out of a sense of anxiety or immediacy. Some students may experience an inability to concentrate on the class-related task at hand if they are anticipating a notification, or waiting for a reply in a group thread (Lee, et al., 2019). The bored student may be checking the same places, but less out of anxiousness and more out of a desire to receive stimulating input. 

There is some debate as to whether or not problematic use of digital devices can be classified as an “addiction,” and it is important not to use a term with significant clinical implications when addressing or speaking with students. The theory of digital addiction posits both chemical and behavioral processes at work that make an individual’s use of cellphones and other devices so problematic that this use can be described as a true addiction. 

Some studies have posited that cellphone usage (particularly the use of social media apps) can result in the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the brain’s reward system (Seo, et al, 2020). As for behavioral processes, researchers can look to the DSM for the kinds of behaviors that hallmark addiction, such as those present in gambling addiction: restlessness and irritability when attempting to cut back, jeopardized opportunities (including educational), engaging in the behavior when stressed, depressed, or anxious, is preoccupied with thoughts of the behavior (DSM-5, 312.31. See also Gutierrez, et al, 2016 for a discussion in relation to substance abuse disorders). Note: The DSM-5 does not contain diagnosis criteria for behavioral addictions as there is not currently a sufficient standard of peer-reviewed evidence.

Without commenting on diagnosis, repeated, off-task use of cellphones in a way that prevents a student from meaningfully engaging in their classwork is a serious issue. Whether or not the use of cellphones is indeed addictive in a clinical or behavioral sense, approaching it as if it were provides a framework that can help students regulate their use of these devices beyond a single classroom setting, and thus improve their overall outcomes as learners. 

[For a larger discussion of the use of the term “addiction” as applied to non-substances such as digital media see: Hartogsohn, 2023]. 

In order to encourage students to voluntarily relinquish their devices, consider offering points towards participation, or some other percentage of a grade. One study (Huey & Giguere, 2022) has shown that when students give up their phones at the beginning of a class session, they report higher levels of comprehension and lower levels of anxiety. Students can be incentivized to participate in this behavior, but students should also be asked to reflect on the impact of their behaviors as a way to cement this strategy as one that supports their learning, rather than an issue of compliance. 

In a larger class where keeping track of this would be difficult, consider a collective reward: if 90% of students leave their phone at the front of the room, everyone gets a point that day. Ultimately, seek a solution that reasonably incentivizes as many students as possible to participate in reducing their device usage as class. 

For class sessions of 50 minutes or more, let students know in the beginning of the semester that cellphone use is not permitted during active class time, but that they will have opportunities to check their devices during a brief break each class session. You can insert a “tech break” slide into your deck, and give students 2 minutes to pull out their phones if they’d like. For longer class sessions, you might include more. The idea is to set clear boundaries and expectations for when students can use their phones without being disruptive or pulling focus from their class work.

The students as partners (SaP) pedagogical approach can help you develop practices to mitigate off-task cellphone use. One particularly salient application is creating classroom contracts. In a small to medium-sized course, ask students how they would like to frame appropriate use of cellphones, as well as consequences for infractions to any agreed-upon framework. Take a few moments at the beginning of the semester to draft a contract alongside your students– actively seeking their input on this document taps into their own internal, autonomous motivation, and may make them more likely to adhere to a policy that they themselves had a say in (Flanigan, 2023).

One simple strategy to consider is explaining to students just how much cellphone usage in class harms their learning [see below for sample language and research you can share]. At the beginning of the semester, and again later if issues arise, present students with a clear-eyed argument about why they should work to reduce their use of phones in the classroom. Present them with strategies that work for you, or that have worked for other students (e.g. putting your phone on do-not-disturb mode, zipping your phone into an interior bag pocket, etc…) Encourage them to develop strategies that they can commit to using all semester. 

Many students may already understand the threat that cellphones pose to their own concentration, but most have not considered how their use of a phone distracts those around them. Depending on the size of your classroom, it may be unavoidable for a student not to see exactly what the person next to them is scrolling. Present students with the facts about the phenomenon of “attention contagion” and ask them to consider how their actions impact their classmates (Forrin, et al., 2021) [see below for sample language and research].