Study: Social media use linked to poor reading, memory in adolescents  

Even one hour a day of social media can harm language and memory skills in adolescent children, a new report shows. 

The Journal of the American Medical Association released new research that followed a group of students beginning at age 9 and ending at age 13. 

The study grouped participants into three categories: 

• No or very low social media use; 

• Low increasing social media use; 

• High increasing social media use. 

At age 9, all the students were using social media for 30 minutes or less per day. 

However, by age 13, the low increasing group averaged nearly 1.5 hours a day and the high increasing group over 3 hours per day. The very low group remained below 30 minutes per day. 

Researchers also administered several language and memory tests and found increased screen time – even just 90 minutes – worsened academic performance. 

“Both low and high increases in social media use throughout early adolescence were significantly associated with lower performance in specific aspects of cognitive function, supporting a prior finding that greater screen time was negatively but weakly associated with adolescent cognitive performance,” researchers concluded. 

“The finding that even low levels of early adolescent social media exposure were linked to poorer cognitive performance may suggest support for stricter age restrictions.” 

Social media and phone addictions have become a major concern for parents, educators and policymakers alike. 

Overwhelming evidence has shown social media harms mental health and can even lead to suicidal behavior, while teachers testify to the disruption phones cause to learning and healthy socialization. 

Many states have already taken steps to ban cellphones in public schools, and some countries are implementing wholesale bans for young children. 

The international community recently praised Australia for banning social media for everyone younger than 16. 

Australia’s ban prompted France to launch an inquiry into TikTok. A government commission recommended banning social media for those under 15 and implementing a nighttime “curfew” for ages 15-18. 

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is pursuing a similar agenda, accusing phones of “stealing our children’s childhood.” 

“The reality is that we have let a monster loose,” Frederiksen told the Danish parliament earlier this month. “Never before have so many children and young people suffered from anxiety and depression.”