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.
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.
