A new study indicates that children who begin using social media at the start of secondary school may perform worse in tests compared to those who wait a few years. Researchers suggest that the continuous need to check for updates could be a significant distraction for many students.
The study found that pupils who opened their first social media account between the ages of 11 and 12 scored lower in mathematics and reading tests. By age 16, the difference in scores between these students and those who delayed social media use was roughly equivalent to about six months of learning.
Dr. Marco Gui, the study's first author from the University of Milano-Bicocca, noted that while the research does not definitively prove social media is the cause, it accounted for other factors that could influence results, such as prior academic performance and family background. The study analysed surveys and exam results from over 5,000 Italian schoolchildren.
One of the strongest indicators of the performance gap was how frequently children checked their phones throughout the day and night. The researchers speculate that this constant state of alert could lead to less engagement in physical activities and academic tasks like homework.