Ill Communication: Technology, distraction & student performance

England, difference-in-differences (full text): after school phone bans, age-16 exam results rose by 0.064 SD on average (significant only at the 10% level), with the gains among pupils with lower results at age 11; no average effect in maths. Full text checked 2026-11-13.

England DiD (full text): high-stakes age-16 scores rose after school phone bans, driven by the lowest prior-achievement quintile at age 11 (+0.1423 SD in the most flexible specification; top quintile −0.0254, not significant); the average rise (0.0641) is significant only at the 10% level. By subject, the lowest quintile's gain came from subjects other than English and maths; in maths alone the lowest quintile fell (−0.0726). Full text checked 2026-11-13.