The influence of technology is ubiquitous; we can access information at any time from almost anywhere. Yet, in schools, the allowance of personal mobile technology has become a controversial issue. According to Traxler (2009), phones can provide students with greater informal learning opportunities; however, schools have grappled with the inherent features of smartphones that disrupt learning (Thomas & Munoz, 2016).Major studies evaluate the teacher's perspective of students having access to phones at school, but studies examining the student perspective are scarce. According to Cook-Sather (2006), "young people have unique perspectives on learning, teaching, and schooling; that their insights warrant not only the attention but also the responses of adults; and that they should be afforded opportunities to actively shape their education" (p. 359). The purpose of this study was to explore how high school students perceive having individual access to smartphones at school to better aid me in my practice. Using an explanatory sequential design to guide this mixed-methods study, survey and interview data were used to understand how students use smartphones at school and how they perceive having access to phones at school influences their learning and social-emotional functioning. Although attitudes towards phone use at school vary, the data analyzed shows that this population feels it is capable of regulating phone use without the intervention of adults and that current phone policies are fair. The data presented indicate that phones are used at school for many reasons, both educational and non-educational. Although, phones are not used nearly as often for learning purposes as they are for communication with others. Phones can cause students anxiety, stress, and distraction and offer students opportunities to connect with friends, take brain breaks, look up information in moments of curiosity, stay in touch with parents, teachers, and coaches, and much more. Overall, this study provides insights into how students view having access to smartphones at school, and the benefits and challenges this access presents them. This research adds to the field of Educational Technology and presents opportunities for further research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]