Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school tests
One of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night. Photograph: True Images/AlamyView image in fullscreenOne of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night. “Our research shows that at least during pre-adolescence, these social media are problematic.”Gui and his colleagues analysed surveys on the social media habits of more than 5,000 Italian schoolchildren and their results in standardised maths, Italian and English exams.
- ▪One of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night.
- ▪Photograph: True Images/AlamyView image in fullscreenOne of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night.
- ▪“Our research shows that at least during pre-adolescence, these social media are problematic.”Gui and his colleagues analysed surveys on the social media habits of more than 5,000 Italian schoolchildren and their results in standardised mat
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/03/children-using-social-media-younger-age-worse-school-tests |
| Publication time | Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:14:32 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-03T17:05:46.787Z |
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One of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night. Photograph: True Images/AlamyView image in fullscreenOne of the best predictors of the performance gap was how often children picked up their phones throughout the day and night. Photograph: True Images/AlamyScienceChildren using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school testsPupils who open accounts aged 11 to 12 score lower in some subjects than those who wait a few years, study findsIan Sample Science editorMon 3 Aug 2026 11.14 EDTLast modified on Mon 3 Aug 2026 11.34 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleChildren who open social media accounts at the start of secondary school appear to perform worse in tests than those who delay, with researchers…
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