The intensive use of social networks would not have a significant impact on school results, According to the results of a study published in the medical journal Educational Psychology Review.
Researchers from the University of Bamberg in Germany have carried out a meta-analysis of 59 studies carried out on more than 30,000 young people around the world, on the impact of social networks on school results.
“There are several contradictory single studies on this topic and this has previously made it difficult to properly assess all of the results,” said Markus Appel, psychologist with the chair of media communication at Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg (JMU). in Bavaria and author of the study. “Some studies report negative impacts of Snapchat & Co., others describe a positive influence and still others find no relationship.”
Their meta-analysis made it possible to highlight four conclusions.
• Students who use social media extensively to communicate about school-related topics tend to have slightly better grades.
• Students who use Instagram and other social networks when studying or doing homework tend to perform a little less than other students. This form of multitasking therefore seems to distract them.
• Students who log on to social networking sites very frequently, post messages and photos regularly show slightly lower grades.
• Students who are particularly active on social networks do not spend less time studying. So there is no scientifically verified evidence that social media harms students’ schoolwork.
“From what we know today, the use of social media does not appear to have a significant negative impact on school grades. Nonetheless, parents should be interested in what their children are doing on social media. , know the social networks and be ready to understand the modes of use “, continues the researcher. “The more open-minded parents are about their children’s online activities, the better able they will be to communicate with them.”
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