The study used longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, which follows more than 10,000 adolescents over six years starting around age 10. Researchers tracked daily social media use and cognitive measures across four years.
Adolescents who used social media more often each day tended to make slower gains in reading and vocabulary. They had more difficulty recognizing and pronouncing words, which researchers say could affect school performance.
The team also found that frequent users showed weaker attentional control. They offer two possible explanations: frequent notifications and multitasking may disrupt attention, or young people who already struggle to focus may use social media more often. Not all effects were negative: frequent users processed information faster and had shorter reaction times on the study tests, though this may be limited to screen-based measures.
Researchers note social benefits of social media and suggest practical steps to reduce harm, such as limiting screen time, avoiding phones before bed, and delaying smartphones; a basic "dumb phone" is another option. The study appears in the Journal of Research on Adolescence. Source: University of Georgia.
Difficult words
- longitudinal — data collected from the same people over time
- adolescent — young person between childhood and adulthoodadolescents
- cognitive — related to thinking, memory, and mental skills
- attentional control — ability to keep attention on a task
- multitasking — doing several tasks or activities at once
- reaction time — speed of response to a signal or eventreaction times
- notification — message or alert from a device or appnotifications
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which of the suggested steps to reduce harm (limit screen time, avoid phones before bed, delay smartphones, use a basic phone) would you try, and why?
- Do you think faster processing on screen tests means better learning in school? Explain your view.
- How could schools help students who have trouble focusing because of social media?
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