How Social Media Use Affects Students’ Reading and Memory

I recently read an article in Education Week titled "Kids’ Social Media Use Linked to Lower Reading and Memory Scores, Study Suggests". Here's my summary, reaction, and takeaways.

We all know social media shapes how kids think and interact, but a new study suggests it may also affect how well they remember and read.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Jason Nagata at the University of California, San Francisco, recently published findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showing that early and increasing social media use among preteens may be linked to slightly lower cognitive performance.

In other words: the more time kids spend scrolling, the harder it may be for them to focus, remember, and read deeply.

What the Study Found

The study, summarized by Lauraine Langreo in Education Week (“Kids’ Social Media Use Linked to Lower Reading and Memory Scores,” 2025), followed more than 6,500 children between ages 9 and 13 who are part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study—a nationwide, long-term project tracking how young brains grow.

Researchers identified three patterns of social media use:

• No or very low use (58%) — kids who spent almost no time on social media.
• Low increasing use (37%) — kids who added roughly an hour per day by age 13.
• High increasing use (6%) — kids who added about three hours per day by age 13.

After tracking reading, vocabulary, and memory performance over two years, they found:

• Those with low but rising use scored 1–2 points lower on reading and memory tasks.
• Those with high increasing use scored up to 4 points lower than their peers who used little or no social media.

At first glance, that difference might seem small. But as Dr. Nagata pointed out, when multiplied across millions of children and compounded over time, those “few points” can make a real difference in learning outcomes.

Why This Might Be Happening

There’s no single cause, but the researchers pointed to several possibilities.

1. Displacement: Time on social media may be replacing reading, rest, or real-world experiences—activities that naturally strengthen vocabulary and memory.
2. Cognitive overload —short-form videos, endless notifications, and rapid app-switching — trains the brain to crave novelty, making sustained focus harder.
3. Neural shaping: During early adolescence, the brain is highly adaptable. Repeated habits—like constant scrolling—literally shape how it processes information.

Put simply: the brain gets good at what it does most. If it’s trained for fast, fragmented content, that’s what it learns to expect.

What It Means for Teachers and Schools

If you’re an educator, this might not surprise you—but it does confirm what many of us are seeing: shorter attention spans, reduced stamina for reading, and students who feel overwhelmed by information.

Here’s how we can respond thoughtfully and proactively.

1. Teach Digital Literacy Early

Students don’t just need to learn how to use technology—they need to learn how it affects them. Teach them to notice when they’re distracted, how multitasking impacts memory, and how screen habits influence mood and focus.

2. Build Deep-Work Muscles

Incorporate short, focused reading or writing sprints, followed by reflection. Teach students how to stay with a single task for 10, 15, or 20 minutes at a time. Over time, this builds cognitive endurance.

3. Collaborate with Families

Schools can’t do this alone. Partner with parents by hosting digital wellness nights, sharing practical tech guidelines, and helping them navigate when—and how—to introduce social media to their kids.

4. Model What Balance Looks Like

Students learn just as much from what we model as from what we say. Keep your own phone use intentional. Create “tech-free zones” during class. Talk openly about focus, attention, and rest.

5. Protect Learning Time

Policies that limit cellphones during the day aren’t just about discipline—they’re about brain health. The more uninterrupted attention students have during school hours, the better they can think, read, and remember.

Why This Matters

The takeaway isn’t to panic about technology—it’s to use it mindfully.

Small changes in attention and reading ability may seem minor in a two-year study, but they add up over time. And if early adolescence is when the brain learns how to learn, we have a chance to help students strengthen the habits that support lifelong focus and comprehension.

For teachers, this research is a reminder of why structure, reflection, and balance matter—both for our students and for ourselves.

We can’t control every app, algorithm, or dopamine hit kids encounter. But we can create classroom experiences that re-train the brain to slow down, think deeply, and reconnect with meaning.

That’s how we help students thrive in a world that’s constantly speeding up.

Sources/Resources

Langreo, L. (2025, October 17). Kids’ Social Media Use Linked to Lower Reading and Memory Scores, Study Suggests. Education Week.

Nagata, J. M., et al. (2025). Social Media Use and Cognitive Performance in Early Adolescence. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).