Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school tests
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- Dr Marco Gui led a study at the University of Milano-Bicocca finding children who opened social media accounts at 11–12 scored lower in math and reading by age 15–16, equivalent to six months of lost learning.
- Over 5,000 Italian schoolchildren were surveyed on social media use and academic performance, showing a persistent gap in standardized test scores for early adopters, especially in math.
- Frequent phone checking emerged as a key predictor of lower academic performance, with researchers speculating constant alerts reduce focus on homework and family engagement.
- English test scores showed no decline among early social media users, possibly due to incidental exposure to English content on the platforms, the researchers noted.
- Dennis Ougrin emphasized the need to help young people develop healthy social media habits rather than pushing outright bans, citing growing evidence on developmental impacts.
- The study controlled for prior academic performance, family structure, and parents’ education, strengthening the link between early social media use and later test outcomes.
Why it matters: Early social media access is tied to a six-month learning deficit by age 16, a gap comparable to half the gain from intensive tutoring. For parents and policymakers, delaying access could yield significant academic benefits without costly interventions.
