Observed Signal · Aug 23, 2026 · Research Study Published · Source: t3n · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Study: Early Social Media Use Linked to Worse School Grades
An Italian research team led by Marco Gui surveyed over 5,000 pupils to compare those who opened social-media accounts before ninth grade with those who waited until ninth grade or later. The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, finds that early account holders (6th–8th grade) scored lower on later tests in mathematics and Italian and were more likely to repeat a grade; English test scores did not show the same decline. Researchers controlled for parental education and socioeconomic background and suggest distraction, reduced study time, and cognitive overload as possible mechanisms. The paper and accompanying expert commentary feed ongoing policy debates in several EU countries about minimum ages for social-media access.
A peer‑reviewed study linking early social‑media use to poorer school performance may influence policy debates on minimum user ages and could affect social platforms' youth targeting and regulatory obligations across EU markets.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Researchers led by Marco Gui (University of Milano‑Bicocca) surveyed more than 5,000 students about the age they created their first social‑media account.
- Students who created social‑media accounts in 6th–8th grade performed worse on later tests in mathematics and Italian compared with peers who waited until 9th grade or later.
- Early social‑media users were more likely to repeat a school grade; English test scores did not show the same negative effect.
- The study was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour (article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02522-4).
- The research team controlled for parental education level and families' socioeconomic background when analysing results.
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Early Instagram/TikTok Use Lowers School Grades
Researchers led by Marco Gui at the University of Milano‑Bicocca surveyed more than 5,000 Italian students about the age they created their first social‑media account and compared later mathematics, Italian (native language) and English test results. Published in Nature Human Behaviour, the study found that students who opened accounts in sixth–eighth grade performed worse on average in later math and Italian tests and were more likely to repeat a year than those who waited until ninth grade or later; the gap corresponded to roughly half a school year in some comparisons. English scores did not show a disadvantage, which the authors link to abundant English‑language content on platforms. Analyses controlled for parental education and socioeconomic background; authors suggest mechanisms such as distraction, reduced study time, notification interruptions and cognitive overload. The findings feature in European debates on minimum social‑media ages.
EU Youth Survey: 48% Say Social Media Helps Mental Health
A dpa-sourced survey commissioned by the European Commission finds that nearly half (48%) of EU youth aged 13–18 believe social media has a positive effect on their mental health, while only about 21% of parents share that view. Youth report fewer negative effects (18%) than parents (36%), and roughly one-third of youths say social media has no effect versus about 42% of parents. Respondents aged 13–18 report average screen times of 4.5 hours on school days and 6.1 hours on weekends—about one hour more than parents estimate. An EU expert group advising the Commission is due to deliver recommendations on 2026-07-13, including whether a social-media ban for children should be considered. The report cautions against interpreting correlations as causal links between screen time and mental-health outcomes.
Primary School Children Turning Away from TikTok
A Swiss monitoring study shows regular social-media use among primary-school children (ages 8–12) has halved over four years: only 20% now regularly use channels such as TikTok or Instagram versus 40% in 2020 and 2022. The report — based on roughly 10,000 pupils aged 8–18 — also finds that use of digital devices in Swiss schools has stagnated and that digital tools are being used less frequently in subjects like mathematics and German than in previous years. The finding was reported via Tamedia titles and cites the national monitoring of digitalisation in education.
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