A study conducted by researchers from the Universities of Milano-Bicocca and Brescia found that early social media use negatively impacts school performance. The research, titled 'Longitudinal effect of early social media use on standardized learning outcomes during school career,' was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
The study analyzed data from 5,227 students in Northern Italy. By the end of the 8th grade, 98% of the students in the sample possessed their own smartphone.
Impact on core subjects
Students who created social media accounts in the 6th, 7th, or 8th grade performed significantly worse in Mathematics and their native language, Italian, compared to late adopters.
15% - 47%
The negative performance effect directly attributable to using a mobile phone during critical times of the day.
However, no significant negative impact on English language skills, specifically reading and listening, was found among early users.
Researchers suggest the lack of negative impact in English may be due to the high proportion of English-language content on social media platforms acting as a compensatory learning effect.
Smartphone usage and academic risk
Constant smartphone use, specifically during homework, before sleep, or upon waking, is a central factor in the negative effects on learning. Early social media use is also associated with a higher risk of repeating grades, a lower probability of achieving very good final grades, and is linked to lower academic self-efficacy.
Regulatory discussions
Thhe legal minimum age for independent use of digital platforms in Italy is 14 years. In Germany, Family Minister Karin Prien advocates for a legal age limit of 13 years for independent social media use. Separately, a survey by the MDR tool 'MDRfragt' showed that 83% of respondents favor a social media age limit of 16 years.
The researchers recommend delaying access to social networks politically and regulatorily for as long as possible. They suggested a multi-stage approach, including enforcing minimum ages, restricting algorithms designed for maximum attention retention, and supporting parents and teachers in establishing rules.
The researchers noted that existing legal guidelines, such as the age for autonomous platform use in the GDPR, have largely been ineffective and ignored in practice.
Updates
Following the study's findings, the French National Assembly has voted with a large majority to ban social media for children and adolescents under 15. Additionally, Germany, Spain, Greece, and Austria are now intending to legally establish social media bans for minors up to a certain age. Meanwhile, the European Commission has accused TikTok of doing too little to protect underage users.
The study revealed that students starting social media in 6th grade showed performance gaps of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian, while also identifying that using mobile phones during homework, before sleep, or after waking leads to cognitive overload. Meanwhile, France is set to implement a social media ban for those under 15 after the summer holidays, a move mirrored by intentions in Germany, Spain, Greece, and Austria to establish similar legal age limits. Researchers also noted that the study accounted for background factors such as parental education, family structure, and prior test scores to ensure accuracy.
The study revealed that students starting social media in the 6th grade faced performance gaps of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian. Researchers noted that using mobile phones during homework, before sleep, or after waking up leads to constant cognitive overload and harmful multitasking. Additionally, the study accounted for background factors such as parental education, family structure, and previous test scores.
The study by researchers from the Universities of Milano-Bicocca and Brescia accounted for background factors, including parental education level, family structure, and previous test scores, before social media account creation. Findings indicate that students starting social media in the 6th grade showed a performance gap of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian. Additionally, researchers suggest that using mobile phones during homework, before sleeping, or after waking up leads to harmful multitasking and cognitive overload.
The study revealed that students starting social media in the 6th grade showed performance gaps of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian. Researchers noted that cognitive overload and harmful multitasking are triggered by using mobile phones during homework, before sleep, or immediately after waking. Additionally, the research accounted for background factors such as parental education, family structure, and prior test scores.
The study revealed that students who began using social media in the 6th grade showed a performance gap of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian. Researchers noted that findings are particularly complex during the pre-adolescent period, suggesting that cognitive overload occurs when mobile phones are used during homework, before sleep, or immediately after waking up. Furthermore, the study accounted for background variables such as parental education, family structure, and prior test scores.
France has voted with a large majority to implement a social media ban for children under 15, set to take effect after the summer holidays. Meanwhile, Germany, Spain, Greece, and Austria are also intending to legally establish social media bans for minors, while Australia has already implemented a 16-year age limit. Additionally, the study revealed that students starting social media in the 6th grade showed performance gaps of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian.
In addition to the study's findings, the European Commission has accused TikTok of insufficient protection for underage users, while the French National Assembly has voted to ban social media for children under 15 following the Senate's lead. Meanwhile, Germany, Spain, Greece, and Austria are also considering legal age limits for minors, and Australia has already implemented a 16-year age limit. Concurrently, technology giants in the US are facing thousands of lawsuits regarding addictive algorithms.
The study revealed that students starting social media in the 6th grade showed a performance gap of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian, with negative impacts in 10th-grade Mathematics being particularly pronounced for those exposed before age 13. While effects were weaker for 7th-grade starters, no significant difference was found for those starting in the 8th grade. Additionally, researchers confirmed the study analyzed students aged 7 to 16 in Northern Italy, accounting for background factors like parental education and family structure.
The study, which analyzed students aged 7 to 16 in Northern Italy, revealed that 6th-grade social media starters showed a performance gap of 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations in Mathematics and Italian, while those starting in the 7th grade experienced significantly weaker but still notable negative effects. Researchers noted that the impact on 10th-grade Mathematics was particularly pronounced for those exposed before age 13, whereas no significant difference was found for students who began in the 8th grade. Additionally, the findings suggest that cognitive overload occurs when mobile phones are used during homework, before sleep, or immediately after waking up.
The study, which analyzed students aged 7 to 16 in Northern Italy, found that the performance gap in Mathematics and Italian for those starting social media in the 6th grade was between 0.22 and 0.27 standard deviations. While students starting in the 7th grade showed weaker but still significant deficits, those starting in the 8th grade showed no significant performance difference. Furthermore, the negative impact on Mathematics in the 10th grade was particularly pronounced for students exposed to social media before age 13.
While the original study found that early social media use correlates with measurable deficits in math and language skills—particularly for those starting before age 13, with performance gaps of 0.22–0.27 standard deviations—new critiques now challenge its methodology: María Paz Prendes Espinosa of the University of Murcia disputes the reliance on self-reported usage data from childhood, calling it a 'starkly limiting approach' and questioning the reliability of adolescents' recall of primary school-era device use.
