Study: Adolescents' social media use depends more on context than on the platform

Klaus Zierer from the University of Augsburg is one of the central voices in the study. Together with María Paz Prendes Espinosa from Spain and Marco Gui from the University of Milano-Bicocca, he evaluated data from several European countries. Italy, Germany, and Spain form the main locations of the investigation; regional comparisons draw on areas including Saxony and northern Italy.

The researchers emphasize that public discourse to date has often been shaped by the assumption that social media are equally harmful to all young people. A spokesperson puts it this way: "In der öffentlichen Debatte wird häufig davon ausgegangen, dass soziale Medien für alle Kinder und Jugendlichen gleichermaßen schädlich sind. Doch der aktuelle Forschungsstand zeichnet ein deutlich differenzierteres Bild. Er zeigt sowohl Risiken als auch Potenziale sozialer Medien und weist auf Unterschiede zwischen Jugendlichen und ihrer Nutzung hin."

Passive and active use compared

The study distinguishes between passive consumption, in which young people mainly view content from others, and active engagement—for example, creating their own posts or learning together in groups. While excessive passive consumption tends to be associated with concentration problems and poorer grades, active, creative, or learning-related uses can even have positive effects on motivation and media literacy.

The family and school environment also play a crucial role, according to the authors. Young people who were given clear rules for screen time and whose schools promoted digital skills less frequently showed negative effects on their academic performance. The researchers see this as an indication that education and guidance can be more effective than blanket bans.

Findings for Germany, Italy, and Spain

For Germany, Italy, and Spain, the data paint a comparable pattern: the intensity of social media use is similar, but the effects on academic performance vary depending on socioeconomic background and educational support. The authors therefore recommend that education policy measures be tailored more closely to the respective living environments of young people.

The research group announces that the results will be published in academic journals in the coming months and presented for discussion at international conferences. Teacher training sessions, parents' evenings, and policy consultations are to follow. An extension of the study to other European countries is also planned.

Recommendations and next steps

Overall, the author team advocates moving the debate about social media beyond a purely risk-based perspective. Digital platforms can no longer be imagined out of young people's everyday lives; what matters is how educational institutions, families, and society itself shape the way they are handled.

Sarah Geber, co-author of the study, underscores the need to distinguish between risks and opportunities. Only in this way can measures be developed that do not patronize young people but instead strengthen their media literacy while also protecting them from demonstrably harmful patterns of use.