A new study from the University of Milano-Bicocca suggests that students who begin using social media at a younger age may face challenges in their academic performance. Researchers analyzed data from over 5,000 students in Italy, comparing their test scores in mathematics, Italian, and English against the age at which they first created a social media account. The findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, indicate that those who started using social media in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade performed worse on average than students who waited until the ninth grade to join these platforms.
The study highlights a notable gap in performance, with early users showing results that lagged behind their peers by approximately half a school year by the time they reached the eighth or tenth grade. Additionally, the researchers observed that students who started using social media earlier were more likely to repeat a grade. While the study found that English scores were an exception—potentially due to the prevalence of English-language content on global social platforms—the overall trend suggests a negative correlation between early platform adoption and school success.
Experts suggest several reasons for this trend, including the time-consuming nature of social media, which can reduce the hours available for homework, reading, or physical activity. Furthermore, constant notifications and the habit of multitasking can lead to cognitive overload and reduced concentration during study sessions. As schools and parents grapple with these findings, the discussion around setting a minimum age for social media access has gained momentum across Europe, with several countries considering legislative measures to protect students' educational outcomes and mental well-being.