For many parents, the transition to secondary school comes with a familiar request from their child: “Everyone in my class is on Instagram. Why can’t I have an account?”It can be difficult to say no when classmates are sharing reels, chatting in groups and following the latest trends online. For some families, a smartphone and social media account may even seem like a natural part of growing up.
28 Jul 2026 | 16:25
Do you think social media has changed the parent-teen relationship?
But new research suggests that the age at which children first start using social media may matter when it comes to their academic performance.A study of more than 5,000 Italian school children has found that children who opened their first social media account at 11 or 12 tended to perform worse in certain school tests than those who waited until at least 14. The difference at age 15-16 was roughly equivalent to six months of schooling, particularly in mathematics and Italian.
What did the study highlight?
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The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, does not prove that social media directly causes poorer academic performance. However, researchers accounted for several factors that could influence test results, including children’s earlier academic performance, family structure and parents’ education.For Indian parents, the finding is particularly relevant because the question is no longer simply whether children use screens. It is when they start using social media, how often they check it and whether it begins to interfere with sleep, homework, family time and concentration.
Starting at 11 or 12 was linked to lower scores
Researchers analysed information about more than 5,000 Italian students, including their social media habits and performance in standardised mathematics, Italian and English tests. When the children were tested at 13-14, those who had opened their first social media account at 11 or 12 performed worse than those who had waited until at least 14.The gap did not disappear as the children grew older. By 15-16, the difference remained in Italian and became wider in mathematics. Researchers estimated that the difference was comparable to around six months of schooling.Interestingly, the pattern was different for English, which the Italian children were learning as a foreign language. Researchers suggested that the large amount of English-language content on social media could provide some incidental exposure and practice.That is an important detail for parents: the study is not saying that every minute spent online is harmful or that social media can never have educational benefits. The bigger concern appears to be what happens when social media becomes a constant background activity.
The problem may be the constant checking, not simply “screen time”
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One of the strongest predictors of the academic performance gap was how frequently children picked up their phones during the day and night. A child who spends 40 minutes watching a carefully chosen educational video is not necessarily using a device in the same way as a child who spends 40 minutes repeatedly checking notifications, messages, likes and new posts.The researchers believe this constant checking may keep children in a kind of continuous state of alertness.For a student, that can mean opening a textbook but wondering whether someone has sent a message, doing homework while checking a notification or sitting at the dinner table while mentally following what is happening online.Over time, these small interruptions can make it harder to remain engaged with activities that require sustained attention.
What other research tells us about screens and school performance
The Italian study is not the first research to find a relationship between digital media use and academic outcomes.A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics found that television viewing and video-game playing were associated with poorer academic performance, with the association appearing stronger among adolescents.In India, a study of high-school students in Chennai also examined the relationship between social media use and academic performance. The researchers found both positive and negative effects: social media could support communication, peer interaction and knowledge sharing, but excessive or addictive use could interfere with academic performance.
For Indian parents, age is only one part of the question
In many Indian homes, the smartphone arrives before the social media account. A child may start using a parent’s phone for YouTube at 6 or 7, get their own device around 11 or 12 and then gradually move towards Instagram, Snapchat or other social platforms. The pressure can also be stronger around the transition to Classes 6, 7 and 8, when children become more socially aware and start comparing themselves with classmates.Parents may hear: “But my friends are already on it.” “I need Instagram for school.” “Everyone has a phone.” “I promise I won’t use it during studies.”
The biggest warning sign: the phone follows the child everywhere
Parents should pay attention not just to how many hours their child spends online but to how often the phone interrupts other activities.Watch for patterns such as:
- Checking the phone repeatedly while studying
Taking the phone into the bathroom or keeping it beside the bed
Waking up and immediately checking notifications
Interrupting homework to reply to messages
Becoming restless when the phone is unavailable
Switching between homework and social media every few minutes
Staying awake late because of reels, chats or notifications
Losing interest in offline activities that the child previously enjoyed
A child may technically spend only an hour on social media but still have their attention disrupted throughout the entire evening.
What parents can actually do
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The answer does not have to be a complete ban. In fact, researchers themselves have stressed that the findings should not be interpreted as proof that all children need to be kept away from social media. The broader message is about healthier habits and reducing the kind of constant engagement that can interfere with children’s development.Here are some practical steps parents can start with:
- Delay the social media account if your child is not ready
- Don’t make the bedroom a phone zone
- Turn off unnecessary notifications
- Have phone-free meals
- Don’t use the phone as the default solution for boredom
- Watch behaviour, not just marks
Social media is not disappearing from children’s lives. The new study offers an important warning: introducing social media early, particularly when it becomes a habit of constant checking, may have consequences for learning.For parents, the practical lesson may be simpler than the debate over banning or allowing social media: Delay it when possible. Keep it out of study time. Keep it out of the bedroom. Switch off the unnecessary alerts. And most importantly, teach children that being constantly connected is not the same as being truly engaged.
