Early Access to Social Media Linked to Worse Academic Performance

Schoolchildren who create their own social media accounts before the age of 14 later show lower results in mathematics and their native language. This is the conclusion reached by Italian researchers after analyzing data from 5,227 students.

The study was published on August 3 in the scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour. It covers schoolchildren from northern Italy aged 7 to 16 and takes into account the results of standardized tests in Italian, mathematics, and English at different stages of education.

Researchers compared students who created their first social media account in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade with those who registered no earlier than the ninth grade – approximately at age 14.

Students who began using social networks in the sixth grade had, on average, lower results in Italian and mathematics by the eighth grade. The gap persisted in the tenth grade, with it being most noticeable in mathematics.

According to the authors' estimates, a difference of about 0.2 standard deviations may correspond to approximately six months of learning. The earlier a child created a social media profile, the more noticeable the gap.

However, the researchers did not find a statistically significant deterioration in English results. One possible explanation they cited is that children regularly encounter English-language content on social media and thus practice the language additionally.

In the studied group, 11.2% of children registered on social media while still in elementary school. In the sixth grade, 29.5% of students created their first profile, in the seventh grade – 25%, and in the eighth grade – 18%. Only 16.3% waited until the ninth grade, when in Italy one can independently consent to personal data processing.

Almost half of those surveyed got their own smartphone in the sixth grade, and by the end of the eighth grade, 98% of students already possessed one.

One of the possible mechanisms for the worsening results, according to the authors, is the excessive intrusion of smartphones into daily life. This refers to using the device before bedtime, immediately upon waking, while doing homework, or directly at school. Such behavior can impair concentration and create additional cognitive load.

The researchers used students' test data from before and after their registration on social media and took into account family, social, and educational factors. The authors consider the results obtained to be compelling evidence of the negative impact of early access, but emphasize the need for caution in interpreting certain estimates.

Based on materials from: Nature Human Behaviour