August 6, 2026, 7:47 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Few topics are as intensely debated among parents today as the question: When should children have their own social media account? One EU country has already enacted age restrictions for social media. But how sensible is a later start really? A new long-term study now provides insights into the potential impact of an early start on academic development.
The earlier the first social media account, the poorer the performance
The current analysis by the University of Milan-Bicocca and the University of Brescia showed a clear picture: Adolescents who opened their first social media account as early as 6th grade later achieved, on average, poorer performance in subjects like math and Italian (this is an Italian study) than those who waited until at least 9th grade. The differences were already evident in 8th grade and persisted into 10th grade. In math, they even grew over time.1
For English, however, the researchers found no comparable correlation. They suggest that many children and adolescents regularly encounter English-language content through social media. However, the study could not confirm this as the actual reason.
What sets this study apart
Some may remember their own school days: Not having a cell phone often meant being uncool. Today, the pressure is even greater for many children. Besides the smartphone, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat are also part of the package. Those without their own account quickly feel left out. It’s no wonder many parents eventually give in. Researchers have now examined in a large long-term study whether an early start in social media affects academic development.
Unlike many earlier studies, the researchers were not interested in how long children use social media daily.2,3 Instead, they wanted to find out if the age at which they first got their own social media account made a difference.
More than 5,200 students followed over years
To do this, the researchers analyzed data from 5,227 students from Northern Italy. The adolescents first completed a detailed questionnaire, indicating, among other things, when they received their first smartphone and social media account. The researchers linked this information with official school performance tests that the students had regularly taken since 2nd grade. This allowed them to track their academic development up to 10th grade.
The researchers then compared adolescents who opened their own social media account in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade with peers who waited until at least 9th grade. To ensure the comparison was as fair as possible, they also considered previous academic performance, parents’ educational background, family situation, and other factors that could influence learning success.
According to the study authors, the performance difference for adolescents with the earliest start was roughly equivalent to half a school year’s learning progress. Additionally, the earlier the first social media account was opened, the greater the differences in academic performance.
The researchers did not only look at the results of the school performance tests. Adolescents with an early social media start were less likely to achieve very good final grades at the end of middle school, more often rated their own academic abilities as poorer, and had to repeat a grade more frequently than those who opened their first account only from 9th grade. However, the timing of the first social media account had little impact on the choice of later school type.
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The smartphone becomes a constant companion
Why exactly an early start is linked to poorer academic performance cannot be definitively answered by the study. However, the researchers found indications that the intensive integration of the smartphone into daily life might play a significant role. Adolescents with an early social media start used their smartphones more frequently in situations where it could easily distract them–such as right after waking up, before falling asleep, or during homework. At the same time, these adolescents achieved, on average, poorer performance in math and Italian.
The authors see their results as further evidence for not allowing children to start social media too early. They are not advocating for a blanket rejection of social media. Rather, their data shows that adolescents who waited until at least 9th grade for their first social media account achieved, on average, better academic performance than peers who started as early as 6th or 7th grade.
Incidentally, France has become the first EU country to pass a law that aims to ban social media for those under 15. New accounts will not be possible from September 1, with a transition period for existing accounts until January 1, 2027.4 In Italy, where the study was conducted, there is no such ban. However, adolescents there can only consent to the use of such online services from the age of 14. The researchers also based their study on this age limit.
How meaningful is the study?
The study is one of the most comprehensive investigations on this topic to date. The researchers followed more than 5,200 students over several years and were able to compare their academic performance before their first social media account with later results. They also considered factors such as previous academic performance, parents’ educational background, and family situation. This makes the results more reliable than many earlier studies.
Nevertheless, this study also has limitations. All participants were from Northern Italy, so it is unclear whether the results can be applied to Germany or other countries. Additionally, social networks are constantly changing. The adolescents studied used their first accounts at a time when TikTok and Instagram were particularly widespread. Future generations might have different experiences.
Moreover, despite the extensive analysis, the authors cannot rule out that other, unrecorded factors may have influenced the results. Therefore, the study provides strong indications of a connection but cannot definitively prove it as a cause.
Conflicts of interest disclosed:
Additionally, the authors disclose that two of the researchers are on the board of the Italian foundation “Patti Digitali ETS.” The foundation advocates for gradually introducing children to digital media and supporting parents in this process. According to the authors, this had no influence on the study design, data collection, analysis, or decision to publish the results. The study was also peer-reviewed and published in the journal “Nature Human Behaviour.”