Your 11-year-old spends an hour daily on Instagram. New research suggests this could be affecting how well they remember what they read.
What’s happening: A new study published this week tracked over 6,000 children from ages 9-10 through early adolescence, giving them learning and memory tests every other year while surveying their social media use annually. Children who increased their social media use showed lower scores on reading and memory assessments compared to peers who used little or no social media.
Why this matters to all parents: This is one of the first longitudinal studies to directly measure cognitive effects of social media on children over time, rather than relying on snapshots or self-reports. The findings come as governments worldwide—including Australia and Denmark—move to restrict children’s social media access based on mental health concerns.
The bigger picture: Previous research focused primarily on social media’s effects on mood and mental health. This study adds evidence that heavy social media use may interfere with fundamental learning processes during critical developmental years.
Here’s what the research found, how different levels of use affected children, and what parents should consider about their children’s social media habits.
What Parents Need to Know
Three groups emerged in the study:
The largest group (58% of kids) used little or no social media over the study period. These children served as the baseline for comparison.
The second-largest group (37% of kids) started with low-level social media use but by age 13 were spending about one hour daily on platforms.
The smallest group (6% of kids) were classified as “high increasing social media group”—spending three or more hours daily by age 13.
The cognitive effects were measurable. All groups took a range of tests measuring learning and memory at the study’s start and in early adolescence. Children with increasing social media use showed lower performance on these assessments compared to the low-use group.
The study design matters. This wasn’t a snapshot asking kids how much they use social media today. Researchers followed the same children for years, measuring both their evolving social media habits and their cognitive performance over time. This helps establish patterns rather than just correlations.
Researcher Jason Nagata emphasised that when discussing social media policies, “we need to prioritise the health and safety of our children.”
The timing is significant. This research emerges as policymakers worldwide debate social media age restrictions. Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s starts in December, and Denmark just announced plans for a similar restriction.
What psychologist Mitch Prinstein said: The University of North Carolina researcher who wasn’t involved in the study called it “really exciting,” suggesting the findings add important evidence to ongoing debates about children and social media.
What Other Parents Are Doing
Reassessing daily limits: Some parents who previously focused only on screen time are now considering the cognitive implications of social media specifically, as distinct from other digital activities like reading ebooks or educational apps.
Delaying social media access: The research reinforces decisions by parents who’ve chosen to wait until children are older before allowing social media accounts, even when peers have access earlier.
Monitoring usage patterns: Rather than blanket bans, some families track whether their children’s social media use is increasing over time and whether they’re noticing effects on schoolwork or reading habits.
Prioritising reading time: Some parents are ensuring children have dedicated time for reading that competes with social media’s appeal, rather than assuming kids will naturally balance their activities.
How This Affects Your Family
For parents of 9-13 year olds: This age range is when the study found effects emerging. If your child is in this developmental window, their brain is still developing critical learning and memory capacities that heavy social media use might affect.
Questions to consider:
- How much time does your child spend on social media daily?
- Has their usage increased significantly over the past year?
- Have you noticed changes in their ability to focus on reading or homework?
- Do they seem to retain information from school as well as they used to?
Three hours daily is not typical. The “high increasing” group spending three-plus hours on social media by age 13 represented only 6% of children studied. If your child is in this category, the research suggests more significant effects may occur.
One hour daily was common. The middle group (37% of kids) reached about one hour of daily social media use by age 13. This is closer to typical usage patterns, and even this group showed measurable differences from peers with minimal use.
This isn’t just about grades. Reading comprehension and memory affect more than academic performance. These skills influence how children process information, make decisions, and understand complex ideas throughout their lives.
Consider the trade-offs: An hour daily on social media means about seven hours weekly—time that could be spent reading, engaging in hands-on activities, or developing other skills. The question isn’t just whether social media causes harm, but what opportunities are lost.
Age 16 recommendations gain support: Many experts, including those cited in this research, recommend waiting until age 16 for social media access. This study provides additional evidence for why those recommendations exist.
Source: NPR
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