Phones can be useful tools in classrooms to remind students of deadlines or encourage more exchange between students and teachers. At the same time, they can be distracting. Students report using their phones for non-academic purposes as often as 10 times a day.

Students who were given the shortest phone break—which totaled one minute—had the highest test grades and were the most attentive during class.

Researchers investigated if letting students use their phones for very brief amounts of time can enhance classroom performance.