Reading Studies

 A recent study indicates that elementary school students with personal cellphones score lower on reading comprehension tests than those without. The study involved 106 students and found that, while having a phone present during a short test did not impact scores, long-term ownership correlated with weaker reading skills. The study suggests that the distraction from phones is cumulative, affecting sustained attention and deep reading over time.

Greenfield, P. M., Hanna, M., Burgos-Calvillo, R., & Rhinehart, L. (2026). Children, cell Phones, and reading comprehension. Behavioral Sciences, 16(8), 1263. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16081263  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/8/1263

Experts in literacy and cognition highlight how students' reading habits have shifted from long-form texts to short snippets on social media. Cognitive neuroscientists note that long-form reading requires sustained attention and effort, which fosters empathy and a richer understanding of complex perspectives, while psychologists say short-form reading may improve multitasking but demands less cognitive effort.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/long-form-vs-short-reading-whats-going-on-inside-a-students-brain/2026/10 

Multitasking study

Multitasking may slow students down
College students' reading comprehension may not be hampered by interruptions from instant messages, but researchers found that those who try to multitask by reading an assignment and text messaging at the same time are about 15 minutes slower in working through their reading assignments versus their peers who work sequentially.
Bowman, L. (2008, Aug.). Media and Internet Psychology. American Psychological Association conference, Boston.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/08/27/01im.h28.html?tmp=620610677

Multitaking study

More kids juggling TV, online media
Nearly two in three U.S. children ages 9 to 17 surf the Web and watch TV at the same time, with nearly half multitasking in this way anywhere from three times a week to many times per day, according to a study of youth, parents and school districts. The report also found 73% of such children practice "active multitasking," in which they are driven by content on one platform to check out another platform.
Grunwald Associates. (2008). Kids' Social Networking Study. Bethesda, MD: Author.
http://www.grunwald.com/surveys/sn/index.php