Thesis Title:
Impacts of smartphone and social media use on educational attainment in adolescents
Thesis Abstract:
There is growing public concern about how smartphones and social media might be affecting young people. Movements advocating for ‘smartphone-free’ childhoods are becoming more common, and many schools are currently reviewing their policies on smartphone use. Some studies suggest that using smartphones and social media is linked to lower performance in school and university exams. However, the evidence is not strong or consistent enough to determine whether these technologies cause poorer exam results. It also remains unclear how smartphone and social media use might lead to lower academic achievement. Possible pathways include effects on mental and physical health, cognition, sleep, experiences of cyberbullying, and school attendance. More robust evidence is required to determine how best to support young people’s educational outcomes, and consequently, their long-term health and wellbeing.
This project aims to generate new evidence through mixed-methods research on how smartphone and social media use may influence secondary school exam performance. The quantitative component will analyse data from the Study of Cognition, Adolescence and Mobile Phones (SCAMP), while the qualitative component will explore young people’s perspectives on how smartphones and social media affect their education through interviews and/or focus groups.
Primary Supervisor:
Dr Rachel Smith