{
  "id": 139186,
  "title": "Kids Who Joined Social Media Earlier Had Lower Test Scores, Study Finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/kids-who-joined-social-media-earlier-had-lower-test-scores-study-finds",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-04T17:07:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/kids-who-joined-social-media-earlier-had-lower-test-scores-study-finds-12281673"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study tracking over 5,000 Italian students has found that those who began using social media at ages 11 to 12 scored significantly lower on standardized tests in Italian, English, and mathematics compared to peers who started using social media at ages 14 or 15. The differences persisted even into 10th grade. Researchers suggest waiting until around ages 13 to 14 may be beneficial, but the findings emphasize the need for comprehensive digital education programs to promote responsible social media use alongside age restrictions.",
  "summary": "A corresponding author told Newsweek that delaying social media use until around ages 13 to 14 may help protect learning outcomes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/139186.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Younger children who use social media heavily get worse grades, study finds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/younger-children-who-use-social-media-heavily-get-worse-grades-study",
        "published": "2026-08-06T05:00:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}