Snapchat would lose 6% of ad revenue and TikTok $1.26 billion if a national ban were enacted, Emarketer estimates.
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A national classroom cellphone ban would cut Snapchat ad revenue by 6% and could cost TikTok $1.26 billion, according to research from Emarketer.
Snapchat is the most exposed platform. Teens use it like a messaging service, and much of that activity happens during school hours – conversations that would be hard to replicate elsewhere. The drop would amount to 6% of Snap's ad revenue, the firm estimated.
TikTok's hit would be roughly $1.26 billion, though the percentage is smaller relative to its total ad base. Meta would see a $600 million impact, less than 1% of its ad revenue.
The numbers assume a nationwide ban, which is not currently under consideration. But 74% of U.S. adults support banning phones during class, per Pew Research cited by Emarketer, and most states already have some restrictions in place. Enforcement has been uneven.
Phone bans are happening alongside broader efforts to regulate teen social media use. This week, a U.S. appeals court cleared the way for thousands of addiction lawsuits against Meta and Snap to proceed.
"The reality is that these bans are expected to reduce overall social media usage among students over time," Minda Smiley, an Emarketer analyst, said in a press release. "They could also have a domino effect that further curbs their usage, as teens may become less reliant on social media as they grow more accustomed to phone-free spaces."
The concern for advertisers goes beyond the school-day drop-off. Less time on apps during class can reduce overall daily usage, according to Smiley.
Teen social media users are a key demographic. There are 19 million users between 12 and 19 in the U.S., per Emarketer.
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