A new study reveals more bad news for the argument for social media in the classroom.

As the debate over whether or not mobile phones should be allowed in the classroom rages on, a new study from CNN on social media and teens found that 13-year-olds can check social media sites up to 100 times a day, indicating a heavy dependence due to the need for approval.

Previous studies have revealed that mobile phones in the classroom when not used for educational purposes can lead to lower test results when studying, and this study of over 200 eighth-graders from across the country indicates saying no to distractions might be harder for teens than originally thought.

Earlier this year, a study from researchers from several universities found that students who text or use social media while studying perform significantly worse than their peers. 

The study also indicated that heavy social media use and cyber bullying have a direct link as 21 percent of teens wanted to ensure mean things weren't getting said about them over social media channels.

Why are teens so anxious about what's happening online? #Being13 found that it's largely due to a need to monitor their own popularity status, and defend themselves against those who challenge it.

• 61 percent of teens said they wanted to see if their online posts are getting likes and comments.
• 36 percent of teens said they wanted to see if their friends are doing things without them.
• 21 percent of teens said they wanted to make sure no one was saying mean things about them.

The study also found that 94 percent of parents underestimated the amount of conflicts occurring online, but when parents or mentors tried to keep a close eye on the teens' social media accounts, were largely successful in erasing negative effects.

Read the full study here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

10/06/2015