Scientists have linked the low academic performance of schoolchildren with early access to social networks
- Новости
- Society
- Scientists have linked the low academic performance of schoolchildren with early access to social networks
Italian researchers analyzed data from several thousand schoolchildren and found that creating a social media account at an early age is associated with a decrease in academic performance. The results of the analysis were published on August 3 in the journal Nature Human Behavior.
According to the researchers, more and more children are getting a smartphone at the age of 10-11, and the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated this process. Students often have accounts contrary to the rules of the sites and legal restrictions.
Researcher Marco Gui from the University of Milan Bicocca and his colleagues studied the data of 5,227 students from the northern part of the country between the ages of seven and 16. The researchers assessed academic performance based on standardized tests in mathematics, Italian and English, and information about the use of digital devices was obtained through surveys.
By the eighth grade, 98% of the students owned smartphones. At the same time, 11.2% of children started social media accounts in elementary school, 29.5% in the sixth grade, and 25% in the seventh. Only 16.3% of students created profiles in the ninth grade, which is the minimum age according to Italian law.
The study showed that children who created accounts in the sixth grade had 0.22 lower standard deviation in Italian by the eighth grade, and 0.18 lower in mathematics. These negative effects persisted by the 10th grade. At the same time, the decline in academic performance was less pronounced for those who started using social networks later. Social media did not affect English language scores.
Additional analysis revealed that parental control and adult access to children's activities in the digital space contribute to later account creation and better academic performance. At the same time, the subjective well-being of students was not found to have a significant relationship with grades.
On July 13, Medical Xpress magazine reported on the effect of gadgets on self-control in children. Scientists have found that the more difficult it is to calm a child, the more often parents use digital devices. The results of the study showed that the use of smartphones and tablets for this purpose was associated with the further development of executive functions, which subsequently again influenced the child and the decisions of the parents.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
