Social media could be shaping how kids’ brains learn—and not for the better

A major new study is giving parents one more reason to rethink how much time kids spend online. Published in JAMA, the research followed more than 6,000 children starting at age nine and found a clear link between heavier social media use and lower scores in reading, memory, and listening comprehension two years later. While the findings don’t suggest kids should avoid social media entirely, they do point to a growing reality: the more time spent scrolling, the less attention and language ability seem to grow. Taylor Hatmaker with Fast Company has the full story.