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Kids opening social media before 13 fall behind academically

8/5/2026

Summary

Milano-Bicocca Researchers Warn

Researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca found pupils who opened a social-media account at ages 11-12 scored lower on maths and Italian exams than those who waited until age 14.
The gap was about 0.2 standard deviations, rising to 0.27 for maths by tenth grade, with no English difference.
Co-author Chiara Respi recommended an age limit around 13-14 and education programs for families and schools.

Summary

Australia fines platforms

About 4.7 million accounts were blocked by 16 January 2026, with over 80 % of under-16s still using the platforms.
The law fines up to 33 million Australian dollars the ten largest platforms that fail age-verification steps.
Reddit filed a High Court challenge while complying pending the decision.
Experts warn AI-generated misinformation, hate speech and deep-fakes add risks for children, prompting age-restriction proposals in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Malaysia and Greece for 2027 or later.

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Milano-Bicocca Researchers Warn

Researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca found pupils who opened a social-media account at ages 11-12 scored lower on maths and Italian exams than those who waited until age 14.
The gap was about 0.2 standard deviations, rising to 0.27 for maths by tenth grade, with no English difference.
Co-author Chiara Respi recommended an age limit around 13-14 and education programs for families and schools.

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