Topline
Almost one in four American teenagers said they used delivery apps for meals during school hours, according to a new survey from public health researchers presented to the American Society for Nutrition on Monday, and a majority were using these apps to order unhealthy food.
A new study conducted by public health researchers found many teenagers are using popular delivery apps during school hours—and many are using them to order unhealthy fast food.
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Key Facts
The study surveyed 1,027 adolescents in 2025 between the ages of 13 and 17, finding almost one in four used delivery apps during school hours, and almost half of them used them after school.
A clear majority of the students who used these apps ordered unhealthy food—about 58.8% reported using them to order fast food like pizza and burgers, while 34.1% said they used them to order sugary drinks like soda, according to the study’s abstract.
Mika Matsuzaki, the study’s lead author, noted that federal nutrition guidelines prevent unhealthy foods from being served in cafeterias and vending machines, but don’t govern what students can order on their smartphones, noting that these apps were “fundamentally changing how our children access foods and beverages at school.”
Students in western states were more likely to report using delivery apps—about 34% in this region said they were allowed to use these services during school hours, which was “substantially higher” than other regions, according to the abstract.
Matsuzaki called her study’s findings a “wake-up call” for parents and school administrators, who she said “may not be aware of this relatively new phenomenon.”
Forbes has reached out to several leading food delivery companies for further comment on the study’s findings.
Tangent
The study comes as states have been heavily cracking down on cell phone usage over the last few years. At least 22 states and Washington, D.C., have “bell-to-bell” cell phone bans, according to the Harvard Kennedy School, while another 19 more have laws that allow schools to enact similar bans. A large study of phone bans across the country published earlier this year found that these prohibitions largely work—student cell phone usage plummeted during classroom hours, although gains in academic achievement were minimal. It is unclear how cell phone bans have impacted the usage of delivery apps during school hours, and Forbes has reached out to the study’s authors for further comment.
Crucial Quote
Matsuzaki noted that the students who responded to the survey had mixed feelings about delivery apps in schools. “Interestingly, students themselves are divided on whether this should be allowed. Even those who support it openly worry about campus safety and classroom distractions,” she said in a statement on Monday. “It’s rare to see teenagers raise flags about their own digital habits, which signals to us that they recognize these platforms are a double-edged sword.” Almost half of respondents said they believed students should be allowed to use delivery apps during school hours, but many also were concerned they could cause a distraction.