While social media keeps us connected, it is starting to become a thief of academic success. For many students, the price of a “like” is a lower grade point average. Every hour spent watching TikTok trends or scrolling through Instagram reels is an hour not spent reviewing notes or completing assignments. Students that use social media for more than three hours a day consistently score lower in reading and memory tests compared to their peers that don’t have as much screen time.
Emma Stewart, a junior at Verrado high school, says that, “Sometimes my phone is helpful when I listen to music. It helps me concentrate.”
Screen time in school isn’t always bad, sometimes, like with Emma, it can actually help students concentrate and get better grades. However, she also said that, in class though, it is a distraction. And I’m not able to finish my work.
So while they can be beneficial, the distraction causes students to not be able to finish their work.
And even when students do sit down to study, phone notifications from social media create a state of constant distraction. This habit of multitasking which happens when you switch between homework and a group chat that prevents the brain from entering deep focus. Studies show that information processed during frequent interruptions is less likely to be stored in long-term memory. To sum it up, even though you might be reading the words, your brain isn’t keeping them and is not able to apply them.
Abbigail Penney, says that, “I stay up late a lot on my phone, and I have trouble sleeping. I think I’d be able to focus better in school if I wasn’t tired.”
Additionally, not only does this affect students during the day, it transfers to the night as well. The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep and leading to social media fatigue. A tired brain caused from this lack of sleep can’t perform at its peak during a first-period math exam or an essay during English. Social media causes us to sacrifice sleep for scrolling, and this causes our cognitive processing speed to slow down significantly.
While social media doesn’t have to be cut out completely, it’s important we understand the impacts it has on our performance in school, and how that affects our grades. By clicking “do not disturb” while doing homework, or making sure to spend time doing the school work instead of just scroll, we can create a balance with technology.
