By Gavin Boyle
Researchers continue to reveal the negative side effects of social media use on the young brain as a new study links social media use with lower reading skills and vocabulary.
“It is interesting to note that both the low and the high social media use populations had this poor academic performance,” said Dr. Sanjeev Kothare, referencing the data points in the study that revealed both kids who spent an hour on social media and three hours on social media both scored lower than those who spent no time on social media.
The study is part of a growing collection of research that has revealed negative affects across the board for young people who use social media. These studies show that kids who use social media have worse mental health, lower academic performance and lower athletic ability than their non-social media using counterparts. While parents and teachers raised the alarm about social media use for a long time, it is only in recent years that science has been able to provide undeniable proof to support these claims.
Related: America’s 2nd-largest School District Bans Cellphones and Social Media
“This is a really exciting study,” psychologist Mitch Prinstein, who works at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, told NPR about the study. “It confirms a lot of what we’ve been hearing about from schools all across the country, which is that kids are just having a really hard time focusing on being able to learn as well as they used to, because of the ways in which social media has changed their ability to process information, perhaps.”
This body of research is also important because it will eventually result in help for the adults facing this problem every day. Until recently, it has been on parents to keep their kids off of devices, but now lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would protect young users from getting hooked.
In the summer of 2023, then U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a U.S. Surgeon General’s Warning to be placed on social media for the harm it causes to young brains. California recently became the first state to institute such a law, which will flash a warning when kids first open social media apps and on a regular basis afterward.
“Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect – but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead and endanger our kids. We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly – protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.”
While the devastating effects of social media on young users is disheartening, it is encouraging to see how quickly lawmakers are moving to protect our kids now that they have scientific evidence about the dangers of these platforms.
Read Next: Surgeon General Recommends Warning Labels for Social Media
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