Kids' cognitive skills suffer with more social media use: Study

Technology Oct 16, 2025

A new study out this week (October 2025) found that preteens who spend more time on social media tend to score lower on reading and memory tests.
Researchers at UC San Francisco looked at data from over 6,000 kids aged 9-10, and the results suggest that higher social media use is connected to lower cognitive performance.

Heavy users saw biggest drops in scores

Kids who used social media for about an hour a day scored 1-2 points lower than those who didn't use it at all.
For heavy users (over three hours daily), scores dropped by 4-5 points.
Sheri Madigan, a psychologist at the University of Calgary, says this "dosage effect" means even small amounts of social media can impact how well young minds work.

Research adds weight to calls for age-based social media limits

The study adds fuel to calls for age-based limits on social media.
Some countries, like Denmark and Australia, are already moving in this direction to help protect kids' brain development.