On a typical day, Reginald Dumbleton checks Snapchat, texts friends, and watches YouTube on his phone after school. Then he usually plays Fortnite, Minecraft, or games on Roblox on his computer. After dinner, the fifth-grader from Wisconsin might watch TV with his family. In all, Reginald says, he spends up to four hours on screens at home each day. 

This number may not surprise you. Kids ages 8 to 12 average more than five hours of screen time daily, outside of school. That’s according to a 2024 study by the University of California, San Francisco. 

Many experts warn that excessive screen use is harmful for kids. Spending too much time on phones and other devices can make it hard to focus and get a good night’s sleep. Screen use can even cause anxiety and affect your mental health in other ways. 

So how might your life change if you were to take a break from screens for a while? To find out, Scholastic News challenged Reginald and two other students to go screen-free for seven days. They could use screens only for schoolwork, both in class and at home. Here’s what they learned. 

After school, Reginald Dumbleton typically checks Snapchat, texts friends, and watches YouTube on his phone. Then he usually plays Fortnite, Minecraft, or other games on his computer. After dinner, the fifth-grader from Wisconsin might watch TV. Reginald says he spends up to four hours on screens at home each day. 

This number may not surprise you. Kids ages 8 to 12 average more than five hours of screen time daily, outside of school. That’s according to a 2024 study by the University of California, San Francisco. 

Many experts say that excessive screen use is harmful for kids. Spending too much time on devices can make it hard to focus or sleep well. Screen use can even cause anxiety. It can also affect your mental health in other ways. 

What if you were to take a break from screens for a while? How might your life change? To find out, Scholastic News challenged Reginald and two other students to go screen-free for seven days. They could use screens only for schoolwork, both in class and at home. Here’s what they learned.

The first two days of the challenge were the hardest for all three kids. Reginald says he struggled with being bored. 

“I was wandering around the house, trying to figure out something to do,” he explains.

The challenge may have been most difficult for Alexia Gary. The sixth-grader from Indiana says she’s addicted to her phone, which she uses for up to 10 hours a day. For Alexia, feeling disconnected from friends was the toughest part of going screen-free. 

Reyhan Parmar Nasief, a fifth-grader from New Jersey, agrees. The biggest downside for him was not answering the texts that piled up on his phone. 

The first two days of the challenge were the hardest for all. Reginald struggled with being bored. 

“I was wandering around the house, trying to figure out something to do,” he explains.

The challenge may have been toughest for Alexia Gary. She’s a sixth-grader from Indiana. Alexia says she’s addicted to her phone. She uses it for up to 10 hours a day. Alexia says feeling disconnected from friends was the worst part of going screen-free. 

Reyhan Parmar Nasief agrees. He’s a fifth-grader from New Jersey. The biggest downside for him was not answering the texts that piled up on his phone.

But going screen-free also had a lot of positive effects. Without devices to distract them, all three kids spent more time with their families. Alexia baked brownies with her mom, which she wouldn’t do during a usual week. Reyhan saw his uncle, and they bonded in a way they wouldn’t have by texting. 

“Conversations are better when you actually get to see the person,” Reyhan explains. 

The kids also got more exercise. Alexia went for walks with a friend. Reginald spent a lot of time playing basketball and riding his bike, which helped improve his mood. 

“When you get outside, you feel a little happier doing something other than being on screens,” he says. 

Another big benefit came at the end of the day. Staying off screens helped improve everyone’s sleep. 

“I was going to sleep way earlier, since I wasn’t staying up on my phone,” Alexia says.

But going screen-free also had benefits. Without their devices, all three kids spent more time with their families. Alexia baked brownies with her mom, which she wouldn’t do during a usual week. Reyhan saw his uncle. They bonded in a way they wouldn’t have by texting. 

“Conversations are better when you actually get to see the person,” Reyhan explains. 

The kids also got more exercise. Alexia went for walks with a friend. Reginald played basketball and rode his bike. These activities helped improve his mood. 

“When you get outside, you feel a little happier doing something other than being on screens,” he says. 

Another big benefit came at the end of the day. Staying off screens helped improve everyone’s sleep. 

“I was going to sleep way earlier, since I wasn’t staying up on my phone,” Alexia says.

So did all three participants complete the challenge? Reginald reported that he stayed off all screens for the whole week. Reyhan used his phone only a few times to call his mom. Alexia didn’t go completely screen-free, but she’s proud that she cut her usual screen time in half. 

“I learned there’s a lot more to do than just being on your phone,” she says. 

The kids say the challenge also helped them pay more attention to the world around them. For example, while walking his dog, Reyhan noticed a frog hopping in the grass. 

“I realized that if I don’t take breaks from my screens, I won’t notice the beautiful things in life,” he says. 

Now that you’ve read about what it’s like to go screen-free, would you want to take the challenge? 

So did all three participants complete the challenge? Reginald says that he went screen-free for the whole week. Reyhan used his phone only a few times to call his mom. Alexia didn’t go completely screen-free. But she’s proud that she cut her usual screen time in half.  

“I learned there’s a lot more to do than just being on your phone,” she says. 

The kids say the challenge also helped them focus on the world around them. For example, while walking his dog, Reyhan noticed a frog hopping in the grass. 

“I realized that if I don’t take breaks from my screens, I won’t notice the beautiful things in life,” he says. 

Now that you’ve read about what it’s like to go screen-free, would you want to take the challenge?