Social Media and School Performance
Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school tests
- Level
- B2
- Estimated time
- 30–40 minutes
- Reading
- 1 min read
The story
A new study says children who start using social media at the beginning of secondary school often do worse in tests than those who delay. Researchers think constant checking for updates is a big distraction. The study looked at when pupils first opened an online account and compared their later school results.
Pupils who opened their first social media account at 11 or 12 were found to score lower in mathematics and reading tests than those who waited until at least 14. More than 5,000 Italian pupils were included and standard exams were analysed. The gap in results was estimated as roughly six months of learning by age 16.
One reliable predictor of the gap was how often children picked up their phone during the day and at night. The researchers said this constant checking may make students less present at home and less focused on homework. The effect was not seen for English, perhaps because social media gives extra practice in that language.
Researchers did not say social media is definitely to blame, and they asked for safer platforms and help for young people to build healthy habits. Some countries are already discussing rules or age limits to reduce harm to pre-adolescents.
Key vocabulary
- account
- A profile or page on a social media site that a person uses.
- delay
- To wait before doing something; not starting immediately.
- mathematics
- The school subject about numbers and calculations.
- reading
- The school activity or skill of understanding written text.
- score
- A number that shows how well someone performed on a test.
- researchers
- People who study a topic carefully to find out facts.
- analysed
- Studied information in detail to find patterns or results.
- phone
- A mobile device that can be used to check social media.
Comprehension check
Write your answer, reveal the model answer, then score yourself honestly.
1. At what ages did pupils open accounts and perform worse in tests?
2. Which school subjects showed lower scores for early users?
3. How large was the score gap by age 16, according to the study?
4. What behaviour was a reliable predictor of the performance gap?
5. What did the researchers ask for to help reduce harm to young people?
Grammar focus
Passive voice
Passive forms are used to focus on results or actions rather than who did them. They are common in reports and research writing.
- Pupils who opened their first social media account at 11 or 12 were found to score lower in mathematics and reading tests than those who waited until at least 14.
- The gap in results was estimated as roughly six months of learning by age 16.
Grammar exercise
Fill each gap with the correct passive form of the verb in brackets. Use the signal word to choose the tense.
1. This year, many accounts ___ (open) by pupils.
2. By age 16, the gap ___ (estimate) as six months.
3. Last month, surveys ___ (analyse) by the team.
4. So far, a phone ___ (pick up) often by students.
5. This semester, early users ___ (find) to score lower.
Discussion
For reflection or speaking practice — not graded.
- How could families help children delay their first social media account?
- What school rules could reduce phone checking during class and homework?
- Do you think social media practice can help English learners? Why or why not?
- Should tech companies change how their platforms work for children? Explain.