The Phone Distraction Epidemic — and What CEOs Are Saying and Doing About It

The Phone Distraction Epidemic

With the average person checking their device 150 times a day—about once every six waking minutes—cell phones top the list of office distractions.

(Source: originated from an analysis by mobile technology consultant Tomi Ahonen, based on a study commissioned by Nokia. The figure was also highlighted in Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers' 2013 Internet Trends report, presented by analyst Mary Meeker. )

A recent survey by Screen Education of more than 1,000 U.S. employees found that workers spend two and a half hours per day using their phones for digital content unrelated to their jobs.

Making matters worse, 14% of respondents said that employees distracted by mobile devices had caused workplace accidents, many resulting in injury or even death.

Examples from the survey included:

• “Someone was on their phone and the elevator door closed... their jacket got stuck, choking them and leaving a red mark.”

• “An employee was distracted by their phone when their arm was crushed by a press.”

• “A patient fell because someone was listening to music and didn’t hear the alarm.”

• “One employee in a company car was texting and driving… and rolled the car off a cliff.”

What CEOs Are Saying

CEOs across industries are saying this has gone too far.

In his most recent letter to shareholders in April, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, wrote:

“I see people in meetings all the time who are getting notifications and personal texts or who are reading emails. This has to stop. It’s disrespectful. It wastes time.”

At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, Dimon renewed his complaint:

“If you have an iPad in front of me and it looks like you’re reading your email or getting notifications, I tell you to close the damn thing.”

Brad Jacobs, billionaire CEO of building-products distributor QXO, devoted a chapter in his book How to Make a Few Billion Dollars to “electric meetings.” He describes many meetings as so dull that

“Chairs might as well be filled with human-shaped cardboard cutouts.”

At a Goldman Sachs event last year, Jacobs drove the point home when he said, elatedly:

“It’s very validating to have a couple dozen of your colleagues actually listening to what you’re saying.”

At Airbnb, CEO Brian Chesky says phone distraction is at the top of the company’s “fester list.” He admits he’s been guilty too:

“Sometimes I’m like, ‘OK, I heard it. I know what you’re about to say.’ I text, but then people see me text, they text. This is a major societal problem.”

Why the Problem Persists

Despite years of attempts—phone bans, new policies, and constant reminders—leaders say the problem hasn’t gone away. In fact, many of the usual fixes have backfired.

According to neuroscientists, long-term smartphone use has been shown to change the brain’s reward system, reducing dopamine receptors and making it harder to focus or feel content without constant stimulation.

Neuroscientists Jaan Aru and Dmitri Rozgonjuk explain:

“Smartphone use can be disruptively habitual, with the main detrimental consequence being an inability to exert prolonged mental effort.”

Dopamine Cycle

In other words, the problem isn’t just behavioral. It’s biological.

What Hasn’t Been Working (and Still Isn’t)

1. Phone bans and public shaming

They create resentment, not results.

2. Long, unfocused meetings

Without energy and purpose, people drift—screens or not.

3. Relying on willpower

It’s not discipline; it’s dopamine.

What Is Working

1. Leaders modeling presence

At Airbnb, CEO Brian Chesky and his team committed to being visibly present in meetings—phones down, attention on people. The cultural shift began when leaders led by example.

2. Peer pressure and ‘The Phone Jar’

At off-sites, UCHealth Marketing VP Brad Fixler removed the Wi-Fi password. The result: more focused conversation and less anxiety about missing messages. At UKG, Chief Customer Experience Officer Bob DelPonte encourages colleagues to call each other out kindly when attention drifts—a culture of gentle self-policing that’s improved focus and collaboration. Some companies even use a “Phone Jar,” charging a small fine for visible phones in meetings and donating proceeds to charity. The result is accountability.

3. Office and workspace designed for focus

Through their office space—from the environment to the layout—leaders are engineering workplaces that increase focus, encourage deep work, and reduce mental fatigue. Offices built for visibility are giving way to offices built for performance.

The Bottom Line

Attention is the lever of productivity.

The question isn’t whether employees can focus—it’s whether they have the environment and reason to.

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How to Stay Ahead

1. Conduct a Needs Analysis to align your real estate strategy with your business objectives. 

2. Secure and Optimize Office Location(s), Space(s), and Lease(s).

3. Maximize Profitability, Recruitment, and Retention

Request a Needs Analysi

Request a Needs Analysis

Request a Needs Analysis

Many companies lose millions of dollars due to lack of employee engagement, loss of top talent, and inefficient or unneeded office space.

Working with Gregg Metcalf, clients gain the insights, the analysis, and the plan to obtain the lease and office space that retains the best employees, attracts top talent, and maximizes productivity as well as profitability.

To Contact Gregg Metcalf:

email: gregg.metcalf@jll.com

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